title: Early versus delayed surgical correction of malrotation in children with critical congenital heart disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes between early and delayed surgical correction of malrotation in children with critical congenital heart disease (CHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with CHD who underwent cardiac surgery by 1 year of age and had malrotation diagnosed during their initial admission at 34 hospitals contributing to the Pediatric Health Information System in 2004-2009 were included. Ladd's procedures performed during the first admission were considered early correction, and those at a subsequent admission were considered delayed. Interhospital variability in the proportion of patients undergoing delayed correction was assessed, and outcomes were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 324 patients identified, 85.2% underwent early correction. Significant variability existed in the proportion of patients undergoing delayed correction across hospitals (p<0.0001). Baseline characteristics, including severity of CHD, were similar between the groups. In the delayed group, 27% of patients underwent a Ladd's procedure during an urgent or emergent admission, but none had volvulus or underwent intestinal resection. Rates of mortality and readmission within 1 year of malrotation diagnosis were similar in both groups. Chart validation confirmed 100% accuracy of diagnosis and treatment group assignment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with critical CHD, delayed operative intervention for malrotation without volvulus may be a reasonable alternative.
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery and the Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jason P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sulkowski
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery and the Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Balci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anandalwar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Martin L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Blakely
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Shawn J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery and the Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Minneci
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Outcomes Research, Department of Surgery and the Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA. Electronic address: katherine.deans@nationwidechildrens.org.
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Deans
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D045822:Intestinal Volvulus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D007766:Lacrimal Apparatus Diseases; D008297:Male; D013576:Syndactyly; D013997:Time Factors; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Congenital heart disease; Ladd’s procedure; Malrotation; Midgut volvulus