Apico-pulmonary artery conduit repair of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary outflow tract obstruction: a 10-year follow-up.
BACKGROUND
In conventional repair of the congenitally corrected transpositions of the great arteries associated with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary outflow tract obstruction, the placement of the left ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit is at risk owing to probable compression by the sternum, heart block, or injury to the mitral anterior papillary muscle. Apical placement of the left ventriculotomy for the inflow conduit rather than in the midportion or base placement may avoid these complications, although this results in a long and winding extracardiac conduit that may be short-lived because of the proliferation of pseudointima.


METHODS
Between 1985 and 1990, a nonvalved Dacron woven-fabric graft conduit was placed between the left ventricular apex and pulmonary artery in 5 patients (mean age, 6.2 +/- 1.7 years) who were then followed for at least 10 years.


RESULTS
No iatrogenic heart blocks or mitral regurgitation developed. All patients were complaint-free during the follow-up period, although 1 patient who was clinically well died suddenly in the 10th follow-up year. Cardiac catheterization in the 10th follow-up year indicated a pressure gradient of 21 +/- 6 mm Hg across the conduit, and angiography revealed that the conduit diameter was 91% +/- 6% of the original conduit diameter.


CONCLUSIONS
The reportedly poor early and late outcomes that occur after a conventional repair of congenitally corrected transpositions of the great arteries associated with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary outflow tract obstruction, which places an extracardiac conduit between the left ventricle and the pulmonary artery, may be partially neutralized by relocating the inflow position to the apex.
Aeba
Ryo
R
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Keio University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. aeba@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
Katogi
Toshiyuki
T
Koizumi
Kiyoshi
K
Iino
Yoshimi
Y
Mori
Mitsuharu
M
Yozu
Ryohei
R
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014694:Ventricular Outflow Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*