No abstract

Objective: To compare the haemodynamics and perioperative course of initial palliation with bilateral pulmonary artery banding (PAB) and the Norwood procedure. Methods: Between April 2004 and December 2007, 43 consecutive children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or a variant underwent initial palliation (PAB, n = 18; Norwood, n = 25). Clinical perioperative data were analysed. In the PAB group, lipoprostaglandin E1 administration was continued with hospitalisation until stage 2 palliation with a bi-directional Glenn shunt and the Norwood procedure. Results: There were no significant differences in the age and operative weight of patients who received stage 1 palliation (PAB, 12 AE 9 days, 2.7 AE 0.6 kg; Norwood, 12 AE 8 days, 2.8 AE 0.4 kg). The PAB group had more high-risk patients than the Norwood group (PAB, 83%; Norwood, 48%, p = 0.04). Increased early and inter-stage mortality were observed in patients who underwent the Norwood procedure (early mortality with PAB, 6% vs Norwood, 12%; inter-stage mortality, 6% vs 27%, respectively). Mortality between stages 1 and 2 was 11% for the PAB group and 36% for the Norwood group. The Kaplan-Meier survival estimate at 1 year did not differ between groups (77% for the PAB group, 64% for the Norwood group). Ductal stenosis was found in one patient in the PAB group during the follow-up period. Twenty-eight patients underwent stage 2 reconstruction, and the patients in the PAB group were younger at the time of surgery (PAB, 116 days; Norwood, 224 days). There were no significant differences between groups in pulmonary artery index regarding body surface area (BSA) (PAB, 179 mm 2 BSA À1 ; Norwood, 194 mm 2 BSA À1 ) and the incidence of ventricular dysfunction after stage 2 construction (PAB, 21%; Norwood, 21%). Conclusions: Bilateral PAB with continuous lipo-prostaglandin E1 administration may improve early and intermediate mortality in infants with HLHS. Intimate care with hospitalisation may contribute to the results. #

OBJECTIVES: A variety of surgical approaches and techniques are used for isolated coarctation repair. We have retrospectively reviewed our results of isolated repair of coarctation over the last 20 years, to establish whether the approach affects clinical outcome and the need for re-intervention. METHODS:Two hundred and eighty-eight patients who underwent isolated repair for coarctation of the aorta at Birmingham Children's Hospital between 1991 and 2010 were enrolled in this study. Chart review and the Departmental database were used to determine demographics, operative details and complications. RESULTS:The majority of patients (n = 237, 82%) underwent surgical repair via thoracotomy techniques, whereas median sternotomy was used in patients where there was associated arch hypoplasia (n = 51, 18%). For all 288 patients, median age at operation was 24 days (range 0-14 years). Between 1991 and 2000, ten patients (6%) underwent repair through midline sternotomy, increasing to 41 patients (36%) between 2001 and 2010. Overall early mortality was 1% and late mortality was 3%. There was a statistically higher reintervention rate (16%) in the decade 1991-2000, compared to 5% in the period 2001-10 (P = 0.02). In patients with hypoplastic arch, the midline approach has a lower re-intervention rate than thoracotomy (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS:In our institution, there has been a trend in recent years towards increased use of median sternotomy to repair the aortic arch, which has been associated with a reduced rate of re-intervention. The midline sternotomy approach for coarctation with arch hypoplasia significantly reduces the risk of re-coarctation.

No abstract

Bil-PAB could be applied to a wide variety of complex diseases. Our mortality rates with bil-PAB improved significantly post-2010. Good indications for bil-PAB were shock and situations where it was unclear whether the physiology was single ventricle or biventricular. Body weight gain was difficult to predict, but patients weighing less than 2.5 kg could be expected to gain body weight after the procedure.