[Video-assisted thoracoscopic left sympathectomy for the treatment of congenital long QT syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) for the treatment of congenital long QT syndrome.


METHODS
Under general anaesthesia, pleural cavity was entered via two or three small incisions in the left intercostal space. The left thoracic sympathetic chain was identified and resected from T2 approximately T5. The lower one at the third of the left stellate ganglion was also resected.


RESULTS
VATS resulted in a significant shortening in corrected QT intervals in three patients. The average QT interval of the four patients was 537.5 ms before VATS and 512.5 ms after VATS. The heart rate of the patients remained unchanged. There were no major peri-operative complications apart from mild ptosis of the left upper eyelid in one patient who recovered in the following days. The syndrome recurred in one patient in syncopal events in four months after VATS.


CONCLUSIONS
VATS is a safe as well as an effective technique for the treatment of congenital long QT syndromes.
Li
Jian-feng
JF
Department of Thoracic Surgery, People's Hospital of Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
Wang
Jun
J
Hu
Da-yi
DY
Wang
Le-xin
LX
Li
Yun
Y
Liu
Yan-guo
YG
Li
Meng-zan
MZ
Zhang
Guo-liang
GL
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008133:Long QT Syndrome / Q000151:congenital* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*