Open-heart surgery at school age does not affect neurocognitive functioning.
OBJECTIVE
Although neurocognitive problems after open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease are frequent, due to a shortage of prospective studies assessing neurocognitive functioning both before and after the procedure, the exact nature of the deficits usually remains unknown. The present study aims at assessing the neurocognitive effects of, in particular, cardiopulmonary bypass at school age. In addition, surgery-related risk factors for reduced neurocognitive outcome are explored.


RESULTS
Participants were aged between 6 and 16 years. Forty-three children indicated for open-heart surgery and a comparison group of 19 children scheduled for interventional cardiac catheterization completed a neurocognitive assessment battery before and 1 year after their procedures. Forty healthy matched controls did so at a 1 year interval. The baseline-to-follow-up outcomes were similar in all three groups. The observed improvements most likely resulted from increased age and the repeated neurocognitive assessment. No risk factors for postsurgical neurocognitive deficits were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates that at school age cardiac surgery using full-flow cardiopulmonary bypass does not affect neurocognitive functioning.
van der Rijken
Rachel
R
Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. r.vanderrijken@cukz.umcn.nl
Hulstijn-Dirkmaat
Gerdine
G
Kraaimaat
Floris
F
Nabuurs-Kohrman
Lida
L
Nijveld
Aagje
A
Maassen
Ben
B
Daniëls
Otto
O
D000293:Adolescent; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests