title: Mid-term experience with valved bovine jugular vein conduits.
abstract: From June 1999 to January 2004, 43 children underwent implantation of a valved bovine jugular vein conduit and correction of complex congenital heart defects. Median age was 1.98 years (range, 11 days - 13.3 years). There were 7 early deaths (16.3%) unrelated to conduit failure or thrombosis. Median follow-up of 36 survivors was 24 months (range, 1-48 months, quartile range, 12-48 months), total follow-up was 78 patient-years. There were 3 late deaths (8.3%) due to infection, pulmonary thromboembolism, and sudden cardiac arrest after re-operation to repair a right ventricular outflow tract aneurysm. There were 2 conduit explantations due to dysfunction and suspected endocarditis. Three patients underwent balloon dilatation of distal stenoses. The mean peak gradient through the pulmonary anastomosis was 15 mm Hg (range, 3-42 mm Hg) among patients free from re-intervention. No severe valve regurgitation was observed. Freedom from re-intervention was 72% at 48 months. This conduit remains a good alternative to homografts. Causes of distal stenosis must be clarified, guidelines for prophylactic anticoagulation must be created, and the role of percutaneous balloon dilatation established.
authors.affiliation: , Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 27/33 Szpitalna, Poznan 60-572, Poland. wjmrow@amp.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawelec-Wojtalik
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mrówczyński
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wodziński
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wojtalik
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henschke
authors.forename: Girish K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome