Persistent risk of subsequent procedures and mortality in patients after interrupted aortic arch repair: a Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society study.
OBJECTIVE
Multiple subsequent procedures directed at the arch and/or the left ventricular outflow tract are frequently required after interrupted aortic arch repair. We the investigated patterns and factors associated with these subsequent procedures and mortality.


METHODS
We reviewed the data from 447 patients with interrupted aortic arch at 33 institutions enrolled from 1987 to 1997. We classified the subsequent procedures by type (catheter-based or surgical) and focus (arch, left ventricular outflow tract, and "other" cardiovascular lesions). We used competing risks and modulated renewal analysis to explore subsequent procedures.


RESULTS
There were 158 subsequent arch and 100 left ventricular outflow tract procedures. Freedom from death at 21 years was 60% overall. The risk of additional subsequent arch procedures decreased after the first subsequent arch procedure in the acute phase, but did not significantly change in the chronic phase. The risk of additional subsequent left ventricular outflow tract procedures increased after the first subsequent left ventricular outflow tract procedure in the chronic phase. The risk factors for subsequent arch procedures and mortality, but not for subsequent outflow track procedures, were related in a complex way to previous procedures and their timing.


CONCLUSIONS
Interrupted aortic arch is a chronic disease in which patients often undergo multiple subsequent procedures with persistent risk for additional intervention and mortality. The risk factors are related to the nature and timing of previous procedures and to the morphology and details of the index procedure. Interrupted aortic arch should be considered a chronic disorder.
Jegatheeswaran
Anusha
A
Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
McCrindle
Brian W
BW
Blackstone
Eugene H
EH
Jacobs
Marshall L
ML
Lofland
Gary K
GK
Austin
Earl H
EH
Yeh
Thomas
T
Morell
Victor
V
Jacobs
Jeffrey P
JP
Jonas
Richard A
RA
Cai
Sally
S
Rajeswaran
Jeevanantham
J
Ricci
Marco
M
Williams
William G
WG
Caldarone
Christopher A
CA
DeCampli
William M
WM
D000293:Adolescent; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D002170:Canada; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012086:Reoperation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult