One thousand repeat sternotomies for congenital cardiac surgery: risk factors for reentry injury.
BACKGROUND
Reentry injury is a risk associated with repeat sternotomy for cardiac surgery. This risk has been well defined for adults, but there is less information available for patients with congenital heart disease. The goal of this review was to identify the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes for reentry injury in patients with congenital heart disease.


METHODS
Eight hundred two patients with congenital heart disease had 1,000 consecutive repeat sternotomies between August 2000 and November 2007. Records were reviewed for demographics, history, operative techniques, and outcomes. Univariate risk factors for reentry injury and operative mortality were assessed.


RESULTS
Median age and weight were 2.1 years (range, 0.1 to 34.6 years) and 11 kg (range, 2.5 to 123 kg). There were 639 second, 287 third, and 74 fourth or higher sternotomies. There were 13 reentry injuries (1.3%) involving right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduits (n = 4), aorta or aortic conduits (n = 3), right ventricular outflow tract patches or pseudoaneurysms (n = 3), and others (n = 3). Risk factors for injury were presence of a right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit (6 of 115 with conduit [5.2%] versus 7 of 885 without [0.8%]; p < 0.001) and sternotomy number (relative risk, 2.28; p < 0.001). Reentry injury was associated with longer procedure times (median, 420 minutes with injury versus 248 without; p < 0.001). Operative mortality occurred in 18 patients and was associated with sternotomy number and procedure time (p < 0.001), but not reentry injury (p = 0.2).


CONCLUSIONS
Risk of reentry injury during repeat sternotomy for congenital heart disease is low. Increasing sternotomy number and the presence of a right ventricle-pulmonary artery conduit are risk factors for reentry injury. However, reentry injury is not associated with increased risk of operative mortality.
Kirshbom
Paul M
PM
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. paul.kirshbom@emoryhealthcare.org
Myung
Richard J
RJ
Simsic
Janet M
JM
Kramer
Zachary B
ZB
Leong
Traci
T
Kogon
Brian E
BE
Kanter
Kirk R
KR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011336:Probability; D012042:Registries; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult