title: Pediatric cardiac surgery in Northern Russia. Results from an international cooperative program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to evaluate a Norwegian-Russian clinical cooperation, this study sought to compare the incidence, early mortality and morbidity of surgically treated patients with atrial septum defect (ASD), ventricular septum defect (VSD) and Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) in Norway and Archangels region in Russia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of patient records of all those surgically treated for ASD, VSD and TOF in Norway and from Archangels region from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Norwegian cohort consisted of 191 ASDs, 227 VSDs and 126 TOFs. The Russian cohort counted 128 ASDs, 77 VSDs and nine TOFs. Thirty-days mortality was 0.4% in the Norwegian VSD, 1.6% in the Norwegian TOF and 1.3% in the Russian VSD cohort. Postoperative complications in the Norwegian cohorts were 18.3% (ASDs), 15.9% (VSDs) and 34.1% (TOFs). The corresponding findings in Archangels were 4.7%, 11.7% and 0%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgery for ASDs, VSDs and TOFs can be carried out with minimal early mortality in both countries. The discrepancy in early postoperative morbidity illustrates the challenges in comparative studies between different countries, cultures and health care systems. The establishment of a decentralized surgical facility has increased the access to cardiac surgery to the population in Archangels region.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.
authors.forename: Anja Wiedswang
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Horjen
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tungusov
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chernov
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shonbin
authors.forename: Micheal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdelnoor
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiseth
authors.forename: Mons
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lie
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007391:International Cooperation; D009017:Morbidity; D009031:Moscow / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012426:Russia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome