title: Quality of life 4 years after complex heart surgery in infancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the health-related quality of life at 4 years of age in children who had undergone cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease in early infancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study of infants undergoing cardiac surgery at 6 weeks of age or younger from July 2000 to June 2005 at the Stollery Children's Hospital. The quality of life was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, version 4.0, generic core scales, and compared with normative values for the same age. The association between the perioperative variables and health-related quality of life was explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 242 infants underwent complex heart surgery during the study period. Of the 166 eligible survivors, 130 were included. No significant differences were present between the children with single ventricle versus biventricular repairs, except for lower physical health summary scores in the single ventricle patients (P = .007). Compared with the normative data, the children with biventricular repair had lower total Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, version 4.0, scores (P = .001) and psychosocial health summary scores (P < .001). The children with single ventricle repair also had lower physical health summary scores (P = .003). Older age at surgery and markers of postoperative low cardiac output syndrome were associated with worse health-related quality of life, and greater socioeconomic status was associated with better quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At 4 years of age, health-related quality of life was significantly lower in children who had undergone surgery for congenital heart disease in early infancy. An association was found between age at surgery and postoperative low cardiac output and socioeconomic status and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Gonzalo.Guerra@albertahealthservices.ca
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garcia Guerra
authors.forename: Charlene M T
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Gwen Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Alton
authors.forename: Ari R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Joffe
authors.forename: Irina A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Dinu
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nicholas
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Ivan M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rebeyka
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002170:Canada; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006304:Health Status; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016014:Linear Models; D008603:Mental Health; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome