title: The Contegra conduit: Late outcomes in right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical outcomes (early death, late death, and rate of reintervention) and performance of the Contegra conduit as a right ventricle outflow tract implant and to determine the risk factors for early reintervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine Contegra conduits were implanted between January 2002 and June 2009. Data collection was retrospective. The mean age and follow-up duration of Contegra recipients was 3.5 ± 4.6 years and 4.2 ± 2.0 years, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were three deaths (two early, one late), giving a survival rate of 93.9%. The rate of conduit-related reintervention was 19.6% and was most often due to distal conduit stenosis. Age at implantation of <3 months, receipt of a conduit of 12-16 mm diameter, and a diagnosis of truncus arteriosus were each significant contributors to the rate of reintervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Contegra is a cost-effective and readily available solution. However, there is a limited range of larger calibers, which means that the homograft conduit (>22 mm) remains the first choice of implant in older children. The rates of reintervention are significantly higher with a diagnosis of truncus arteriosus, age at implantation of <3 months, and implantation of conduits sized 12-16 mm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Co
authors.forename: Derek G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Human
authors.forename: Jacques G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Andrew Im
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Campbell