Evaluation of the influence of patch material for aortic arch repair in newborn patients with aortic coarctation

Abstract

The aim of the research. To reveal the influence of the patch material for aortic arch reconstruction in treatment of aortic coarctation in newborn patients. Material and methods. Within the framework of this retrospective study, a total of 89 medical records of newborn patients with coarctation of the aorta were analysed. The patients were divided into six groups in accordance with the surgical correction method chosen and the patch material. The following control points of the study were chosen: intraoperatively-measured gradient at aortic isthmus and the gradient measured when transferring the patient to the intensive care unit; the need for reoperation as well as death in the late postoperative period. Intergroup comparison of baseline characteristics was made using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis and Kaplan-Meier tests. Results. The patients were evenly distributed into the study groups by baseline characteristics (p>0.05). The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed no statistically significant differences between the groups by the aortic isthmus gradient at each time period (p>0.05). There were also no intergroup differences in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (p>0.05). Conclusion. When performing the aortic arch reconstruction in newborn patients with coarctation of the aorta, the surgeon may choose the patch material that they are most experienced with or of their preference, since the patch material does not have significant influence on the surgical outcome.