Risk Factors for Mortality after the Norwood Procedure Using Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Shunt

Background. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience with staged surgical reconstruction of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome ( HLHS) with a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit and to identify the risk factors that influence late outcome. Methods. Between February 1998 and June 2007, 62 patients with HLHS underwent a Norwood procedure by using right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit (median age, 9 days [ range, 1 to 57]; median body weight 2.7 kg [range, 1.6 to 3.9 kg]). The subsequent 47 patients underwent a bidirectional Glenn procedure (stage 2) . Thirty-two patients underwent a modified Fontan procedure (stage 3). Follow-up was complete (median, 32 months; range, 1 to 101). Results. Hospital mortality after the Norwood procedure was 8% (5 of 62 patients). Between stages, 9 patients died, 3 before stage 2 and 6 before stage 3. There was 1 late death after stage 3. Overall survival was 76% (47 of 62). The estimated 1-year and and 5-year survival rates were 80% and 73%, respectively. Using the any -mortality as the endpoint, prematurity ( gestational age <37 weeks), body weight less than 2.5 kg at stage 1 operation, and tricuspid regurgitation 2+ or more were associated with mortality. Using Cox regression analysis, body weight less than 2.5 kg and tricuspid regurgitation 2+ or more were two independent factors associated with midterm survival. Conclusions. From 9 years of experience, despite good early survival after Norwood stage 1 palliation, low body weight and tricuspid valve regurgitation were still associated with worse outcome. More efforts should be made to improve the late results for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

Lobar torsion after lung transplantation

Lobar torsion is a rare complication after lung transplantation. Here we report a case of right middle lobe (RML) torsion after bilateral sequential lung transplantation (BLTx). This 30-year-old lady underwent BLTx for bronchiolitis obliterans due to paraneoplastic pemphigus. The right tower lobe of the donor lung was resected due to inflammatory change during procurement. The postoperative chest X-ray showed persisting RML infiltrates. Fever and leukocytosis were noted 1 week later. RML lobectomy was performed after the reconstructed chest computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of RML torsion. Adult respiratory distress syndrome with unstable vital signs, refractory hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis occurred thereafter. After venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, the patient recovered slowly and was discharged 5 months after BLTx. Copyright (C) 2012, Elsevier Taiwan LLC & Formosan Medical Association. All rights reserved

The Potential of Disproportionate Growth of Tricuspid Valve after Decompression of the Right Ventricle in Patients with Pulmonary Atresia and Intact Ventricular Septa

Objective: Tricuspid valve size is the major determinant of outcomes for patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum. Lack of right ventricle-pulmonary artery continuity is associated with poor tricuspid valve growth ( decrement in Z-value). However, most reports did not show evidence for disproportionate growth of the tricuspid valve after establishment of right ventricle-pulmonary artery continuity. Methods: We studied 40 patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum who underwent initial right ventricular decompression for planned staged repair. The initial Z-value of the tricuspid valve diameter (Zt1) was obtained from the echocardiography-derived normal value. The late Z-value (Zt2) was measured before definitive repair or the last available Z-value, if definitive repair was not yet reached. The factors associated with the changes of Z-values (Zt2-Zt1) were analyzed. Results: The mean initial tricuspid Z-value (Zt1) was -6.2 +/- 3.5. After treatment (Zt2), the mean Z-value was -6.0 +/- 3.4 (n = 34). Overall, the tricuspid Z-values did not change. Individually, the change in Z-value (Zt2-Zt1) was larger than +2 in 11 (32%) patients and smaller than -2 in 6 (18%) patients. Increases in Z-value (Zt2-Zt1) were significantly associated with right ventricular pressure/left ventricular pressure ratio measured after initial palliation (r = -0.54; P = .001) and the initial tricuspid valve Z-value (Zt1) (r = -0.40; P = .02). Conclusions: Disproportional growth of the tricuspid valve can occur, especially in patients with small tricuspid valves and lower right ventricular pressures after decompression. The findings support the possibility of neonates with small tricuspid valves undergoing biventricular repair after right ventricular decompression surgery

A NEW TECHNIQUE TO REMOVE A &quot;stuck&quot; TOTALLY IMPLANTABLE VENOUS ACCESS CATHETER

Removal of a totally implantable venous access device (port) is usually a simple procedure. however, if a catheter has been in place for a very long period, it may adhere firmly to the vessel wall. We report a new technique to facilitate removal of a stuck catheter. A 16-year-old girl was admitted for removal of her port, which had been inserted for chemotherapy I I years earlier. After her disease was controlled, the catheter could not be pulled out during surgery. To remove the catheter, we inserted a guidewire to straighten the catheter and then applied a &quot; push-in&quot; force to detach the adherence from the central vein. The catheter was then removed successfully. We believe that this is a new and simple method for removing a &quot;stuck&quot; catheter

Left Ventricular Assist for Pediatric Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy Using the Medos Vad Cannula and a Centrifugal Pump

Ventricular assist devices for small pediatric patients are expensive and commercially unavailable in Taiwan. We used the Medos ventricular assist device cannula (Medos, Aachen, Germany) and a centrifugal pump to support pediatric patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and decompensated heart failure. From January 2007 to December 2008, three pediatric patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were supported using a centrifugal pump as the left ventricular assist device. The Medos arterial cannula was sutured to the ascending aorta, and the Apex cannula was fixed into the left ventricular apex. When the patient was weaned off of cardiopulmonary bypass, the left ventricular assist device pump was started. The pump flow was gradually titrated according to the filling status of the left ventricle. All the left ventricular assist devices were successfully implanted and functioned well. Two patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation had severe lung edema before left ventricular assist device implantation. Both patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for the postoperative period until the pulmonary edema was resolved. Among the three patients, two successfully bridged to heart transplantation after support for 6 and 11 days, respectively. The first patient (10 kg) expired due to systemic emboli 30 days after left ventricular assist device support. In summary, these results suggest that the Medos ventricular assist device cannula and a centrifugal pump is an option for temporary left ventricular assist device support in patients with intractable heart failure and as a bridge to heart transplantation

EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION RESCUE FOR CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

OBJECTIVE: To describe survival and neurologic outcome and identify the factors associated with survival among pediatric patients following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for in-hospital cardiac arrest. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: A university-affiliated tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Eligible patients were < or = 18 yrs of age and received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation for in-hospital cardiac arrest. INTERVENTIONS: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during active cardiopulmonary resuscitation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. The secondary outcome was neurologic status after ECPR at hospital discharge and late follow-up. Good neurologic outcome was defined as Pediatric Cerebral Performance Categories 1, 2, and 3. Continuous variables were expressed as medians (interquartile range). We prospectively defined the early cohort (January 1999 to December 2001) and late cohort (January 2002 to January 2006) and compared the survival rates. We identified 27 ECPR events. The survival rate to hospital discharge was 41% (11 of 27). The nonsurvivors had higher pre-cardiopulmonary resuscitation serum lactate levels (14 [10.2-19.6] mmol/L vs. 8.5 [4.4-12.6] mmol/L, p < .01), longer durations of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (60 [37-81] mins vs. 45 [25-50] mins, p < .05) with longer activating time for ECMO (12.5 [7.5-33.8] mins vs. 5 [0-10] mins, p < .01), and more renal failure after ECPR (68% [11 of 16] vs. 9% [1 of 11], p < .01). The survival rate of the late cohort was better than that of the early cohort (58% [11 of 19] vs. 0% [0 of 8], p < .05). By exact multiple logistic regression analysis, the early cohort and renal failure after ECPR were two independent risk factors for mortality. Among the 11 survivors, ten had good neurologic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: ECPR successfully rescued some pediatric patients who failed rescue with conventional in-hospital CPR. Good neurologic outcomes were achieved in the majority of the survivors. Early cohort and post-ECPR renal failure were associated with mortality

Repair of Complex Tracheobronchial Stenosis with Left Pulmonary Artery Sling and Bridging Bronchus

Slide tracheoplasty with reimplantation of the left pulmonary artery is one of the preferred techniques for repair of long-segment congenital tracheal stenosis in association with a pulmonary artery sling. Left pulmonary artery sling associated with a right upper bronchus from the trachea ( tracheal bronchus) and stenosis of the bridging bronchus is a more complicated situation. We present an infant with left pulmonary artery sling, and stenosis of the bridging bronchus, carina, and both right and left main bronchi. His condition was successfully repaired using the combination of slide tracheoplasty and tracheal autograft techniques