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Original Articles: Pediatric Cardiac

Morbidity and Mortality Risk Factors in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease Undergoing Cardiac Reoperations

^a Department of Cardiac Surgery and Grown Up Congenital Heart Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy
^b Department of Cardiothoracic-Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy

Accepted for publication May 20, 2009.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Giamberti, Department of Cardiac Surgery and Grown Up Congenital Heart Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, San Donato Milanese, Milan, 20097, Italy (Email: alegia{at}hotmail.com).

Background: Reoperations represent relatively frequent events in adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Cardiac operations in these patients present major difficulties in management and technique. Although reoperations in ACHD are becoming increasingly frequent, limited knowledge exists regarding perioperative risk factors.

Methods: The study included 164 ACHD patients who underwent cardiac reoperations between January 2002 and December 2007 at our institution. Preoperative and intraoperative data were analyzed to identify morbidity and mortality risk factors.

Results: Reoperations included pulmonary valve implantation or conduit replacement in 60, aortic valve/root procedures in 36, residual atrial or ventricular septal defect closure in 19, and Fontan operation/conversion in 19. Hospital mortality was 3.6%. The mean mechanical ventilation time was 26 hours. Mean intensive care unit stay was 3.1 days. Severe postoperative complications occurred in 24 (15.1%). Cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.001), Fontan operation/conversion (p = 0.001), preoperative hematocrit (p = 0.004), previous number of operations (p = 0.001), and preoperative congestive heart failure (p = 0.021) were associated with severe morbidity. No factor was associated with death.

Conclusions: Reoperations in ACHD are mostly due to right ventricular outflow tract lesions and were associated with a low mortality rate if performed in a center with a considerable activity and a dedicated program. Severe morbidity is relatively frequent and is generally associated with the preoperative (high hematocrit due to cyanosis, congestive heart failure, and the number of previous operations) and operative (Fontan operation/conversion and cardiopulmonary bypass duration) conditions of the patient.

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Invited Commentary

Victor Tsang and Martin Utley
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2009 88: 1289-1290. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				V. Tsang and M. Utley Invited commentary. Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2009; 88(4): 1289 - 1290. [Full Text] [PDF]