Background: Despite significant improvement in outcomes with truncus arteriosus (TA) repair, right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction with a right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-to-PA) conduit remains a source of long-term reintervention and reoperation. This study evaluated our experience with reintervention in homograft and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) RV-to-PA conduits in neonates. Methods: Primary TA repairs from 2004 to 2016 at a single institution were included. Stratification was based on RVOT reconstruction with PTFE or homograft conduit. Primary outcome was operative conduit replacement. Secondary outcomes included the rates and types of catheter-based conduit interventions. Results: Twenty-eight patients underwent primary TA repair and 89.3% (n = 25) of them had RVOT reconstruction with a homograft (28.0%, n = 7) or PTFE (72.0%, n = 18) conduit. Rates of reoperation for conduit replacement and catheter-based interventions were similar between those with PTFE and homograft conduits (85.7% vs 72.2%, P = .49 and 57.1% vs 83.3%, P = .11, respectively). Additionally, the median time to conduit replacement and catheter-based conduit interventions were comparable. In multivariable analysis, conduit size, but not conduit type, was a predictor of conduit revision (hazard ratio: 1.66, 95% confidence interval: 1.11-2.49, P = .02). At five-year and ten-year follow-up, patients with PTFE conduits had better survival than those with homograft conduits (100.0% vs 71.4%, P = .02); however, no mortalities were associated with conduit reoperations or catheter-based reinterventions. Conclusions: Polytetrafluoroethylene and homograft RVOT reconstruction in neonatal TA repair demonstrate similar durability as defined by reoperation and reintervention rates. The validation of the durability of PTFE conduits in neonatal TA repair requires confirmatory studies in larger cohorts.

Background The aim of this study is to evaluate the predictive utility of preoperative right ventricular (RV) global longitudinal strain (GLS) and free wall strain (FWS) on outcomes following left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) implantation. Methods Preoperative transthoracic echocardiograms were retrospectively reviewed in adults undergoing continuous‐flow LVAD implantation between 2004 and 2018 at a single center. Patients undergoing pump exchange were excluded. RV GLS and FWS were calculated using commercially available software with the apical four‐chamber view. The primary outcome was RV failure as defined by the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support within 1‐year post‐LVAD insertion. Results A total of 333 patients underwent continuous‐flow LVAD implantation during the study period and 137 had adequate preoperative studies for RV strain evaluation. RV FWS was found to be a significant predictor of postoperative RV failure in univariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.12, p = .03), and this finding persisted after risk adjustment in multivariable analysis (OR = 1.14, p = .04). Using the optimal cutoff value of −5.64%, the c‐index of FWS in predicting RV failure was 0.65. RV GLS was not associated with post‐LVAD RV failure (OR = 1.07, p = .29). PCWP was the only additional significant predictor of RV failure using multivariable analysis (OR = 0.90, p = .02). Conclusion Pre‐implant RV FWS is predictive of RV failure in the first postoperative year after LVAD implantation.

Background. Donors with drowning or asphyxiation (DA) as a mechanism of death (MOD) are considered high risk in pediatric lung transplantation. We sought to evaluate whether recipients of DA donors had negatively impacted outcomes. Methods. Pediatric recipients recorded in the United Network for Organ Sharing registry between 2000 and 2019 were included. Primary stratification was donor MOD. Propensity matching with a 1:1 ratio was performed to balance the DA and non-DA MOD donor cohorts. Cox multivariable regression was used to determine the risk-adjusted impact of donor MOD. A subanalysis of the effect of lung allocation score was also evaluated. Results. A total of 1016 patients underwent bilateral lung transplantation during the study period, including 888 (85.6%) from non-DA donors and 128 (14.4%) from DA donors. Survival at 90 days, 1 year, and 2 years were similar in the matched and unmatched cohorts regardless of the donor MOD. Moreover, separate risk-adjusted analysis of drowning and asphyxiated donors was similar to other MOD donors at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years. Similar survival findings persisted regardless of pretransplant lung allocation score. Although the rates of posttransplant stroke (1.0% versus 3.1%, P = 0.04) and the length of hospital stay (19 versus 22 d, P = 0.004) were elevated in the unmatched DA MOD recipients, these differences were mitigated after propensity matching. Conclusions. This study evaluated the impact of DA MOD donors in pediatric lung transplant recipients and found similar rates of complications and survival in a propensity-matched cohort. These data collectively support the consideration of DA MOD donors for use in pediatric lung transplantation.

Introducción. La pandemia por COVID-19 ha llevado a modificar la estructura asistencial en los hospitales alrededor del mundo, buscando la mejor forma de adaptarse para responder al incremento de pacientes infectados por el virus, sin desantender las necesidades de los pacientes no afectados por el mismo. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir la percepción de la comunidad quirúrgica sobre el impacto que ha tenido la pandemia COVID-19 en los servicios de cirugía en Colombia. Métodos. Estudio de corte transversal descriptivo mediante encuesta estructurada compuesta por 10 preguntas de selección múltiple y 8 preguntas con items tipo Likert. Se distribuyó electrónicamente a residentes de cirugía general, cirujanos generales o sub-especialistas que tuvieran práctica clínica en Colombia.   Resultados. Se incluyeron 464 participantes, 27.8 % fueron mujeres y 45.3 % cirujanos generales. Alrededor de la mitad residían en Bogotá (51.4 %) o trabajaban en un hospital universitario privado (48.3 %). El 78.8% de los encuestados consideraron que las recomendaciones de seguridad son efectivas y 76.6% se sienten seguros realizando procedimientos con ellas. Sin embargo, el 63% consideran que estas se cumplen parcialmente. Hasta el momento, 20% de los participantes reportó haber tenido contacto directo con pacientes COVID-19 positivos. Finalmente, la mayoría (93%) estan de acuerdo con la cancelación de procedimientos electivos y estan dispuestos a ser reubicados en otros servicios en caso de ser necesario. Conclusiones. Para el inicio de la fase de mitigación en Colombia existe consenso en la percepción del impacto de la pandemia COVID-19 en los servicios de cirugía. No se observó una variabilidad significativa respecto al nivel de entrenamiento ni al tipo institución hospitalaria.