title: Optimal surgical approach for repair of aortopulmonary window.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is a review of the experience over 26 year in a single institution with surgical repair of aortopulmonary window.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 1973 and March 1999, 38 patients underwent surgery for aortopulmonary window at a median age of 5 weeks, and with a median weight of 3.9 kg. Median follow-up was 6.6 years, with a range from 0.8 to 26 years. Additional defects were present in 25 (65%) patients, including interruption of the aortic arch in 7, tetralogy of Fallot in 7, ventricular septal defect in 5, functionally univentricular anatomy in 3, aortic coarctation in 2, and anomalous origin of a coronary artery in 1. We approached via an aortotomy in 45%, an incision through the defect in 31%, and using a pulmonary arteriotomy in 24% of patients. Closure was achieved using a single patch in 30 patients (79%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3 (7.9%) in-hospital deaths. Actuarial patient survival was 88% at 10 years. Three patients required reinterventions for stenoses of the great arteries. Freedom from any reintervention was 70% at 10 years. By multivariate analysis, the approach through a pulmonary arteriotomy was shown to result in a higher need for reintervention (p = 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repair of aortopulmonary window can be done with excellent results. A pulmonary arteriotomy should be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussets, USA.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hew
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bacha
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zurakowski
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: del Nido
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jonas
mesh_terms: D001028:Aortopulmonary Septal Defect / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors