|
|
||||||||
Ann Thorac Surg 2004;78:650-657
© 2004 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Adolph Basser Cardiac Institute, Westmead NSW, Australia
Accepted for publication January 7, 2004.
* Address reprint requests to Dr Winlaw, Cardiac Surgery Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
e-mail: davidw{at}chw.edu.au
| Abstract |
|---|
|
|
|---|
METHODS: Retrospective study of patients with double inlet left ventricle, L-TGA or similar morphology presenting between 1990 and 2000. Follow-up with clinical assessment, echocardiography and catheter studies.
RESULTS: Twenty-five patients had initial palliation with pulmonary artery banding with repair of any associated arch obstruction. Twelve patients had DKS performed as part of their second stage procedure, and 3 had DKS performed later for recurrent stenosis after prior enlargement of BVF. Six patients had BVF resection without later restenosis and 4 patients did not develop BVF stenosis. There was one early death (4%) and two late (8%). Fontan completion was achieved in 20 of the 22 survivors. There were no cases of DKS obstruction, no pulmonary valve had more than mild regurgitation.
CONCLUSIONS: Our approach achieves low operative mortality and morbidity and compares favorably with reported results for Norwood palliation. The significant rate of systemic outflow obstruction in those who did not undergo DKS at the second stage confirms the utility of early DKS in children with this morphology.
| Introduction |
|---|
|
|
|---|
The initial operation for children with this complex must address arch obstruction and limit pulmonary blood flow. This may be achieved by the creation of a shunt-dependent circulation and pulmonary artery-aortic anastomosis with arch augmentation; similar to the Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Although some centers achieve very good results for first stage Norwood palliation, there remains significant associated mortality and morbidity [1, 2] .
An alternative approach, preferred by our group, is to perform arch repair and pulmonary artery banding as the first palliation. A Damus-Kaye-Stansel (DKS) connection may be created at the second operation at the same time as a superior cavopulmonary connection, addressing any actual or potential systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
We performed a retrospective study of all patients with DILV, l-TGA or similar morphology, treated by our institution over a 10-year period from 1990 to 2000. The aim of the study was to determine the medium-term outcome of patients and compare this to reported results for initial Norwood palliation. A secondary aim was to examine the prevalence and development of systemic outflow obstruction, to evaluate our practice with regard to timing of the DKS connection.
| Material and methods |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Arch repair and pulmonary artery banding (PAB) was performed by thoracotomy, otherwise PAB alone or in combination with septectomy was performed through a sternotomy. Coarctation repair was performed as an extended end-to-end procedure in all patients. A 5-mm Dacron band (DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, DE) was placed by passing the band through the transverse sinus then between aorta and pulmonary artery. The optimal position for the band was determined by identifying the origin of the coronary arteries from the aorta. By placing the PA band immediately above this point, a proximal band is obtained, usually positioned at or just above the level of the sinotubular junction. The band is held in position by the undisturbed adventitia and other tissue connecting the great arteries, preventing distal migration and branch PA distortion. No additional sutures are used to secure the band to the pulmonary artery. The tightness of the band is determined by saturations and hemodynamics and was guided by the Toronto formula [3], taking into consideration that the left lung is partly collapsed during the banding procedure.
The DKS procedure was performed using conventional continuous flow cardiopulmonary bypass and moderate hypothermia with cardioplegic arrest. Thirteen of 15 patients had the DKS created by transection of the main pulmonary artery, usually at the site of the previous pulmonary artery band, and implantation of the proximal MPA stump into the side of the aorta, utilizing a triangular flap of aortic wall to create the posterior part of the connection. The remaining defect was closed with glutaraldehyde preserved pericardium, or Gore-Tex patch (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) augmentation (Fig 1). The other 2 patients had both great vessels transected at the level of the pulmonary artery band. The proximal aorta and pulmonary artery were sewn together side to side for approximately one-third to one-half of their circumference and then the augmented distal aorta sewn to this double outlet ventricle (Fig 2). With this technique, in most patients, the connection can be created without any patch material, but if there appears to be excessive tension, then a patch of autologous pericardium is used. The latter technique is simple and leaves the aortic sinuses intact, and is now our preferred approach. Three of 15 patients required DKS construction after completion of Fontan and ligation of the main pulmonary artery. The valves were examined at the time of operation and found to have normal appearance.
|
|
Superior cavopulmonary connections were created using standard techniques, using continuous flow cardiopulmonary bypass and moderate hypothermia. Lateral tunnel Fontan was performed early in the series (6 patients) with extracardiac Fontan conduits used during the later part of the series (14 patients). Extracardiac Fontan conduit is now our preferred technique.
Patient follow-up data are reported as median (range) and calculated using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft, Inc., Redmond, WA). Freedom from DKS connection was analyzed using SPSS for Windows (Chicago, IL).
| Results |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Surgical strategies: outcomes
Initial palliation with PAB was performed in association with other procedures including coarctation repair, atrial septectomy and interrupted arch repair (Table 1). The median age at initial palliation was 6 days (range 0 to 48 days).
Fifteen of 25 patients had a DKS procedure at some point in their palliation (Fig 3). Twelve of 15 had a DKS performed as part of their second stage procedure (early DKS group) at a median age of 14 months old (2.4 to 26.1 months old) with a median time of 13.3 months (2.3 to 25.9 months) after initial palliation. Three of 15 had DKS performed late, after enlargement of BVF or resection of LV outflow, to address recurrent obstruction (late DKS group; Fig 3).
|
|
|
|
Before Fontan completion, the following hemodynamic data were obtained: cardiac index mean 5.2 L · min1 · m2 (range 3.7 to 8.2), left ventricular end diastolic pressure mean 4.2 (range 1 to 10).
Mortality data
There was one early (30 day) death (4%) and two late deaths (8%) giving a total mortality of 12% (see Table 2 for details). Of the two late deaths, one was in the early DKS group and the other had had a BVF/systemic outflow tract resection. The early death had not had DKS or BVF/systemic outflow tract resection.
Morbidity
Four of 12 patients (33%) who underwent neonatal arch repair needed further arch surgery. One patient underwent reoperation 23 days after initial repair. The remainder required arch augmentation at the same time as subsequent palliations. Augmentation was achieved by patching with autologous pericardium briefly treated with glutaraldehyde. This necessitated a period of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (core temperature 20°C for 20 minutes [1623 minutes]).
Four of 25 patients (16%) required pulmonary artery repair at second stage palliation attributable to the PAB. Three of these were due to distal migration of the PAB and the repair was performed using autologous glutaraldehyde preserved pericardium patch (2) or Gore-Tex patch (1). The other injury was due to the PAB cutting through the main pulmonary artery and associated with a false aneurysm. This was repair with a pulmonary artery z-arterioplasty and did not require patching (subsequent early mortality, patient 1 [Table 2]).
Four pacemakers were required for the development of heart block, at times remote from surgical intervention. No episodes of heart block occurred in patients having BVF resection.
There was one late stroke 2 months after DKS and superior cavopulmonary connection from a presumed paradoxical embolus. This child has normal ventricular and valve function, but has moderate residual neurologic impairment. One patient suffered cerebral hemorrhage before the initial palliation and suffers cerebral palsy, but is suitable for and is awaiting Fontan completion. There were no other cerebral complications noted.
Development of systemic outflow obstruction
Nineteen of 25 patients developed LV outflow obstruction or BVF restriction between the first and second palliation (76%). Two further patients had a small BVF noted on echo before second stage palliation and had DKS performed in anticipation of developing restriction. Twelve patients had DKS procedure at second stage (early group). Nine patients had LV outflow tract resection or BVF enlargement. Four patients did not require DKS, LV outflow tract resection or BVF enlargement. Four patients who had LV outflow tract resections or BVF enlargement, subsequently required DKS connection [3] or repeat LV outflow resection/BVF enlargement for recurrent stenosis [1].
Quality of DKS connection
Current echocardiograph data were available for 13 of 15 of those who underwent DKS connection. There were no cases of DKS obstruction. There were no cases of moderate or severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR). PR was absent in 8 patients, trivial in 3 and mild in 2. The three patients who underwent late resurrection of the pulmonary valve after previous MPA ligation had normal pulmonary valve function.
Two of 15 patients did not have current echocardiograph data due to migration abroad, however follow-up echocardiographs, at a median 5 months post completion Fontan (2 to 6 months) revealed no PR, no evidence of DKS obstruction and normal ventricular function.
Functional limitations
Excluding the neurologic events (2) discussed above, the deaths (3) and the patient who is unsuitable for cavopulmonary connection, there was follow-up of 17 of the remaining 19 patients. Fifteen patients have no apparent restriction in physical activities although no formal testing was carried out. Two patients had mild to moderate restriction in physical activity (New York Heart Association class II equivalent) but are otherwise well.
| Comment |
|---|
|
|
|---|
Staged palliation involving pulmonary artery banding for the complex of DILV/l-TGA and similar morphologies is not favored by groups with good Norwood results [4, 5], although some such groups still prefer initial palliation by banding [6, 7]. The ventricular hypertrophy that occurs following pulmonary artery banding is said to accelerate BVF narrowing and cause systemic outflow obstruction [8]. However, it is acknowledged that the natural history of the morphologic lesion is for systemic outflow obstruction to develop, partly due to turbulent flow, even without banding. Optimal placement of the band may be more difficult than expected and pulmonary artery distortion is an unwelcome complication, particularly with a view to eventual cavopulmonary connection. Adequacy of arch repair is also a consideration that may influence surgical strategy.
Taking into consideration these factors, many groups have chosen to perform a Norwood procedure, addressing arch obstruction and systemic ventricular outflow obstruction at the same time. Nevertheless, this strategy involves a significant period of cardiopulmonary bypass and a variable period of circulatory arrest with potential for cerebral injury [9, 10]. For non-HLHS indications, the Norwood procedure is associated with significant early morbidity and mortality (8% to 19%), with further attrition awaiting second stage surgery in the context of a shunt dependent circulation [1, 4, 11]. Recoarctation may occur in up to 30% of patients [12, 13], and in the traditional Norwood circulation the ventricle is volume loaded. Conventionally held views that the DILV/l-TGA group may be better Fontan candidates in the longer term may be untrue [14].
Our group has not performed Norwood palliation for this group of patients, preferring to perform arch repair and pulmonary artery banding as initial palliation. The raw operative mortality for the first stage (1/25, 4%) and overall (3/25, 12%) in this cohort would suggest that it is at least as safe and possibly better than published reports for first stage Norwood surgery [1, 4, 11]. The two cannot be directly compared because the pathology mix in reported series of Norwood surgery on nonhypoplastic left heart patients is different to this series. The high rate of achieving a Fontan circulation (20/22 survivors) also suggests that our approach is safe and effective. In the uncommon situation where DILV/l-TGA coexist with extreme arch hypoplasia, Norwood palliation is clearly the only acceptable pathway.
Somewhat surprisingly, we observed a 30% rate of recoarctation requiring reoperation, similar to that in reported series for Norwood palliation [12, 13]. There were also 4 patients (4/25 to 16%) of pulmonary arterial distortion requiring repair at the second stage, this did not influence the likelihood of achieving a Fontan circulation. Similarly, left pulmonary artery narrowing is also a common sequel of the Norwood procedure, because of the bulk of the DKS connection and asymmetric PA growth from right-sided shunts. In these respects the adequacy of initial arch repair and pulmonary artery distortion approach seems superior.
Significant pulmonary valvar incompetence and obstruction of the DKS connection were not features in our operative results. Other than the techniques we describe, we reestablished flow through a previously ligated main pulmonary artery on three occasions as previously reported [15]. There have been no failures of this strategy to date.
Patients with pulmonary problems, including disease related to prematurity, present a particular challenge. We have taken the view that this group may do better without cardiopulmonary bypass at the first palliation, although it is acknowledged that when necessary very low birth weight premature infants can undergo major surgery involving bypass with good outcomes [16]. The difficulty with a strategy that initially involves banding comes when they outgrow their pulmonary artery band and become unacceptably cyanotic. If at this point they are not suitable for a venous shunt because of elevated pulmonary pressures, then a systemic to pulmonary artery shunt is required usually in conjunction with a DKS connection. In our experience, this is a difficult group and indeed one where progression beyond an arterial shunt dependent circulation was limited. There seems little to choose between the two approaches in this regard.
This study does not conclusively suggest that all patients with a systemic outflow by a BVF require a DKS connection, although clearly the majority do. We have not identified a restrictive BVF at birth in this series, or in others with this pathology outside the time-frame reported. There may be some patients in whom the BVF is so large that obstruction at that site is unlikely, but only 4 of 25 in our series achieved a Fontan completion without either a BVF resection or DKS connection. We did not see any of the commonly reported complications associated with BVF systemic outflow tract resection, including heart block and injury to the septal artery [17]. Nevertheless, our surgical management in all patients with functionally single ventricles ideally involves performing extracardiac procedures rather than intracardiac ones. Abnormalities of rhythm (early and late), early postoperative ventricular dysfunction and distortion of AV valvar support are minimized by this approach. Similarly, we now employ extracardiac conduits for Fontan completion instead of the lateral tunnel or atriopulmonary connection.
The development of ventricular hypertrophy after pulmonary artery banding is a concern, but may be minimized by early conversion to a cavopulmonary connection. Increasingly, we are performing this at a younger age with acceptable results. Tweddell and colleagues [18] described in a Norwood population that the rate of weight gain significantly decreases after 3 months, before falling saturations might normally trigger reassessment and conversion to a cavopulmonary shunt. Whether the systemic ventricle is volume loaded, as in the standard Norwood palliation, or pressure loaded, as occurs when banded, we must time our interventions to minimize harm to ventricular function. In the banded population, diastolic dysfunction is a significant concern, particularly in terms of the quality of the final Fontan circulation and so early conversion to a cavopulmonary shunt is important.
| Conclusion |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Acknowledgments |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| References |
|---|
|
|
|---|
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
A. C. Fiore, M. Rodefeld, P. ViJay, M. Turrentine, C. Seithel, M. Ruzmetov, and J. W. Brown Subaortic obstruction in univentricular heart: results using the double barrel Damus-Kaye Stansel operation Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2009; 35(1): 141 - 146. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
W. J. Brawn Editorial comment: Early pulmonary artery debanding with Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedure provides good haemodynamics for the Fontan circulation Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2009; 35(1): 147 - 148. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. A. Lotto, R. Hosein, T. J. Jones, D. J. Barron, and W. J. Brawn Outcome of the Norwood procedure in the setting of transposition of the great arteries and functional single left ventricle Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2009; 35(1): 149 - 155. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. R. Ceresnak, J. M. Quaegebeur, R. H. Pass, A. J. Hordof, and L. Liberman The Palliative Arterial Switch Procedure for Single Ventricles: Are These Patients Suitable Fontan Candidates? Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 2008; 86(2): 583 - 587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| ANN THORAC SURG | ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN | EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG |
| J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG | ICVTS | ALL CTSNet JOURNALS |