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Background Minimally invasive repair of congenital heart defects in children has not gained wide popularity yet compared to minimally invasive approaches in adults. We sought to review our experience with this approach in children. Methods This study included a total of 37 children (24 girls, 64.9%) with a mean age of 6.5 ± 5.1 years, who underwent vertical axillary right minithoracotomy for repair of a variety of congenital heart defects between May 2020 and June 2022. Results The mean weight of these children was 25.66 ± 18.3 kg. Trisomy 21 syndrome was present in 3 patients (8.1%). The most common congenital heart defects that were repaired via this approach were atrial septal defects (secundum in 11 patients, 29.7%; primum in 5, 13.5%; and unroofed coronary sinus in 1, 2.7%). Twelve patients (32.4%) underwent repair of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections with or without sinus venosus defects, while 4 patients (10.8%) underwent closure of membranous ventricular septal defects. Mitral valve repair, resection of cor triatriatum dexter, epicardial pacemaker placement, and myxoma resection occurred in 1 patient (2.7%) each. No early mortality or reoperations. All patients were extubated in the operating room, and the mean length of hospital stay was 3.3 ± 2.04 days. Follow-up was complete (mean 7 ± 5 months). No late mortality or reoperations. One patient required epicardial pacemaker placement due to sinus node dysfunction 5 months after surgery. Conclusions Vertical axillary right thoracotomy is a cosmetically superior approach that is safe and effective for repair of a variety of congenital heart defects in children.

Benign cardiac tumors are rare and fibroma is second to rhabdomyoma in frequency in pediatric cardiac tumors. We report a case of a 14-year-old male patient, who presented with shortness of breath for 2 years. Echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging indicated a large mass located in the left ventricular lateral wall. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumor, and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a cardiac fibroma. The patient had a good postoperative recovery and was discharged on sixth postoperative day.

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OBJECTIVES Contemporary modified Ross procedure continues to deliver excellent outcomes and remains part of the treatment strategy for aortic valve disease in the young adult population. The aim of this study was to assess whether Ross procedure carried out as a second or subsequent intervention for aortic valve disease carries similar risk and long-term benefit, when compared to Ross procedure for first time aortic valve replacement. METHODS 158 patients aged 16 to 60 years from a single congenital cardiac centre between 1997 and 2020 were included. The sample was split into two subgroups, based on the history of previous aortic valve interventions prior to the Ross procedure. Primary outcomes were defined as survival and pulmonary autograft failure. Coarsened exact matching was used to balance for covariates. RESULTS 103 patients underwent primary Ross and 55 underwent secondary Ross with a mean follow-up of 7.8 years. 22 patients underwent 28 reoperations during follow-up. 49 well-matched pairs were obtained through matching. Freedom from pulmonary autograft failure at 10 years was 84.5% in the primary group vs 100% in the secondary group (p = 0.021). 5 and 10-year survival were identical, 97.5% in the primary group vs 95.6% in the secondary group (p = 0.53). Male sex and era were found to be predictors of neoaortic root dilatation. CONCLUSIONS The lower incidence of graft failure seen in secondary Ross could justify a stepwise approach to aortic valve intervention. Ross procedure delivers excellent outcomes in the adult population with no difference in survival for primary or secondary Ross.