title: Left thoracoscopic sympathectomy and stellate ganglionectomy for treatment of the long QT syndrome.
abstract: The long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare inherited cardiac disorder that may induce fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Patients diagnosed with this disorder generally have several treatment options, including beta-blockade, cardiac pacing, an implantable automatic defibrillator, or a high thoracic left sympathectomy. We report the case of a 6-year-old girl with the LQTS treated by left thoracoscopic sympathectomy and stellate ganglionectomy. The procedure was performed after an initial thorascopic attempt at another institution failed due to inadequate resection of the sympathetic chain. Operative time was 85 min and blood loss was minimal. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. The girl's QT interval decreased and she was discharged on the 4th postoperative day. After 9 months of follow-up, she remains asymptomatic. We conclude that the LQTS patients who fail medical treatment can be treated successfully with left thoracoscopic cervicothoracic sympathectomy. We recommend that the extent of sympathectomy for treating the LQTS be T1-T4 and either the entire stellate ganglion or at least the inferior one-third.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Smith Tower, 6550 Fannin #2435, Houston, TX 77030, USA. reardonp@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Reardon
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Scarborough
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preciado
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Conklin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reardon
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015171:Ganglionectomy; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D013233:Stellate Ganglion / Q000601:surgery*; D013562:Sympathectomy; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*