[Evaluation of surgical approaches and early and midterm results of treatment for atrioventricular septal defect].
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated patients who underwent complete or partial surgical correction for atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) with regard to surgical techniques and early and midterm results.


METHODS
Forty-six patients were treated for complete (n=28) or partial (n=18) AVSD between 2000 and 2007. There were nine boys and 19 girls (mean age 5.5 months; range 1.5 to 11 months) with complete AVSD. Of these, 17 patients underwent total repair, while 11 patients underwent palliative procedures. Five males and 13 females (mean age 11 years; range 1 to 50 years) with partial AVSD were treated with total repair. Down syndrome was seen in nine patients (32.1%) and one patient (5.6%) in complete and partial AVSD groups, respectively. Twenty-one patients (75%) and 14 patients (77.8%) could be followed-up for a mean of 26.3 months (range 1-72) and 21.8 months (range 2 to 71) in the two groups, respectively.


RESULTS
Total repair of partial AVSD resulted in no mortality or significant morbidity. Early postoperative mortality occurred in three cases (10.7%) after repair of complete AVSD, one of which had Down syndrome. Six patients required prolonged mechanical ventilation beyond one week. Two patients without Down syndrome underwent reoperation due to severe atrioventricular (AV) valve insufficiency in the early postoperative period. None of the patients required permanent pacemaker implantation. Clinical and echocardiographic monitoring showed moderate left AV valve insufficiency in three patients in each group, while the remaining patients had no or minimal insufficiency.


CONCLUSIONS
Total repair of complete AVSD should be the procedure of choice in early infancy. Left AV valve insufficiency continues to be the most important cause of postoperative morbidity in these cases.
Erek
Ersin
E
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Acibadem Bakirköy Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. eerek@asg.com.tr
Yalçinbaş
Yusuf Kenan
YK
Türkekul
Yasemin
Y
Salihoğlu
Ece
E
Soykan
Banu
B
Saygili
Arda
A
Sarioğlu
Ayşe
A
Sarioğlu
Tayyar
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006343:Heart Septal Defects / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome