[Immediate results of palliative surgery for different forms of univentricular heart using the Norwood procedure].
BACKGROUND
Norwood procedure is used as the first stage in the palliative treatment of the hypoplastic heart syndrome and can be used, with some technical modifications, in other forms of univentricular heart with aortic stenosis or hypoplasia. These patients have a high mortality (50%), derived from the procedure itself and from their abnormal physiological status.


OBJECTIVE
To report our experience with the Norwood procedure.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of all patients subjected to the Norwood procedure between February, 2000 and June 2003.


RESULTS
Thirteen patients (9 females, age range 5-60 days and median weight of 3.3 kg) were operated. Eight had hypoplastic heart syndrome and five had a single ventricle with aortic arch hypoplasia. The diagnosis was done in utero in eight patients. All technical variations, according to the disposition and anatomy of the great vessels, are described. Cardiac arrest with profound hypothermia was used in all and regional cerebral perfusion was used in nine. Three patients died in the perioperative period and three died in the follow up (two, four and 10 months after the procedure). Gleen and Fontan procedures were completed in five and one patients, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results with the Norwood procedure are similar to other series. There is an important mortality in the immediate operative period and prior to the Glenn procedure.
Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. pbecker@med.puc.cl
Pedro
P
Becker
Patricia
P
Frangini
Gonzalo
G
Urcelay
Claudio
C
Arretz
Felipe
F
Heusser
Pilar
P
Arnaiz
Francisco
F
Garay
Manuel J
MJ
Irarrázaval
Sergio
S
Morán
Ricardo
R
Zalaquett
Gustavo
G
Maturana
Elisa
E
Castillo
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018729:Fontan Procedure; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D018636:Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome