Long-term results after repair of complete atrioventricular septal defects: analysis of risk factors.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed data from 320 patients to evaluate the impact of different preoperative, operative, and postoperative factors on the outcome after repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect. METHODS: Between October 1974 and December 1995, 320 patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect not associated with major cardiac anomalies were operated on. Two hundred seventy-four patients underwent total repair. Sixty-three patients (23%) were less than 6 months old. One hundred ninety-eight (72.2%) underwent primary repair. Seventy-six patients (27.7%) had a previous palliative operation. RESULTS: Operative mortality in patients who underwent primary repair decreased from 17.6% (1974 to 1979) to 5.0% (1990 to 1995) despite an increase in the number of patients younger than 6 months. In patients undergoing a two-stage procedure operative mortality was 3.9% (late mortality, 7.9%). Young age (<6 months) was an incremental risk factor (p = 0.008) for operative mortality in the early study period. Coarctation of the aorta (p = 0.02) and severe dysplastic left atrioventricular valve (p = 0.001) were associated with a higher risk for operative mortality. Freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 82.5% +/- 3.8%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect, primary repair is the treatment of choice and can be accomplished with good results. In our experience over a period of more than 20 years, earlier date of operation, young age (<6 months), dysplastic left atrioventricular valve, and coexisting coarctation were incremental risk factors for hospital death. The presence of a previously placed pulmonary artery band did not alter the outcome of repair. The reconstructed atrioventricular valve shows a good and long-lasting performance.

Preoperative positron emission tomographic viability assessment and perioperative and postoperative risk in patients with advanced ischemic heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to investigate whether determination of tissue viability by means of positron emission tomography (PET) before coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) affects clinical outcome with respect to both in-hospital mortality and 1-year survival rate. BACKGROUND: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction are at higher risk for perioperative complications associated with CABG. Therefore, the selection of patients who will benefit from CABG is an important clinical issue. METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated 76 patients with advanced CAD and LV dysfunction (LV ejection fraction < or = 0.35) who were considered candidates for CABG. Thirty-five patients were selected for CABG on the basis of clinical presentation and angiographic data (group A), and 34 of 41 patients were selected according to extent of viable tissue determined by PET (group B) in addition to clinical presentation and angiographic data. RESULTS: There were four in-hospital deaths (11.4%) in group A and none in group B (p = 0.04). After 12 months, the survival rate was 79% in group A and 97% in group B (p = 0.01). Postoperatively, group B patients had a less complicated recovery (p = 0.05). They required lower doses of catecholamines (p = 0.002) and demonstrated a significantly decreased incidence of low output syndrome (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective data analysis suggests that selection of patients with impaired LV function on the basis of extent of viability supplementary to clinical and angiographic data may lead to postoperative recovery with a low early mortality and promising short-term survival. Therefore, viability studies permit selection of patients who are at low risk for serious perioperative complications.