Home monitoring improved IS weight gain in patients undergoing the hybrid procedure. Decreased weight gain per day was associated with IS mortality.

No abstract

Transoesophageal echocardiography can be performed on an outpatient basis in children with a wide spectrum of congenital cardiac malformations, and propofol is an ideal sedative agent in this setting. Although not common, preparations must be made for significant haemodynamic and respiratory complications. In our study, we intubated all the children under 2 years of age.

The lower weight limit for infants undergoing intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with current commercially available probes has not been determined. A review of the literature reveals that infants as small as 1.6 kg have been studied successfully. This report describes the first intraoperative TEE reported in a 1.4-kg infant during truncus arteriosus/interrupted aortic arch repair. Successful pre- and postoperative images of the cardiac abnormality were obtained. Probe insertion was performed in this small patient after predilating the esophagus with a 14-F suction catheter.