Karlien Carbonez

Recent experience and 12 years follow-up after surgical closure of atrial septal defect type II in 120 children

OBJECTIVE To establish the feasibility and efficacy of closing large patent arterial duct in infants, using the modified and angled variants of the Amplatzer duct occluder. BACKGROUND Closure of large patent arterial ducts by inserting devices in sick and underweight infants, particularly those weighing around 5 kilograms, remains a challenge. Bigger devices require larger delivery sheaths and may cause obstruction either to the aorta or left pulmonary artery. Negotiating a large device is difficult or impossible, as the sheath gets kinked. Because of these problems, such underweight infants with large ducts who are failing to thrive, and in left ventricular failure with associated lesions, are typically referred for surgery, often leading to higher morbidity and mortality. METHODS We attempted to close such large patent arterial ducts using the new Amplatzer occluder, modified with single layer of polyester, and the angled occluder, with no polyester material, inserted through a specially braided kink-resistant sheath. RESULTS Closure was achieved in 10 infants, with mean age of 8.2 months, mean weight of 5.5 kilograms, the lowest weighing 3.9 kilograms. The mean size of the patent ducts was 6.3 millimetres, with the largest measuring 8.6 millimetres. We implanted 6 modified and 4 angled occluders. In one patient, suffering from hydronephrosis, a 14/12 angled device embolized and was retrieved, but the patient died. In the remaining patients, all ducts were closed completely, with no obstruction to either the aorta or left pulmonary artery. On follow up, all showed excellent clinical improvement. CONCLUSION Complete closure of very large patent arterial ducts is now possible, even in very sick and underweight infants, using the large but low profile custom-made angled or modified versions of the Amplatzer occluder.

Liver and systemic hemodynamics in children with cirrhosis: Impact on the surgical management in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Cirrhosis in adults is associated with modifications of systemic and liver hemodynamics, whereas little is known about the pediatric population. The aim of this work was to investigate whether alterations of hepatic and systemic hemodynamics were correlated with cirrhosis severity in children. The impact of hemodynamic findings on surgical management in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LT) was evaluated. Liver and systemic hemodynamics were studied prospectively in 52 children (median age, 1 year; 33 with biliary atresia [BA]). The hemodynamics of native liver were studied preoperatively by Doppler ultrasound and intraoperatively using invasive flowmetry. Portosystemic gradient was invasively measured. Systemic hemodynamics were studied preoperatively by Doppler transthoracic echocardiography and intraoperatively by using transpulmonary thermodilution. Hemodynamic parameters were correlated with Pediatric End‐Stage Liver Disease (PELD) score and the histological degree of fibrosis (collagen proportionate area [CPA]). Cirrhosis was associated with a 60% reduction of pretransplant total liver flow (n = 46; median, 36 mL/minute/100 g of liver) compared with noncirrhotic livers (n = 6; median, 86 mL/minute/100 g; P = 0.002). Total blood flow into the native liver was negatively correlated with PELD (P < 0.001) and liver CPA (P = 0.005). Median portosystemic gradient was 14.5 mm Hg in children with cirrhosis and positively correlated with PELD (P < 0.001). Portal vein (PV) hypoplasia was observed mainly in children with BA (P = 0.02). Systemic hemodynamics were not altered in our children with cirrhosis. Twenty‐one children met the intraoperative criteria for PV reconstruction using a portoplasty technique during the LT procedure and had a smaller PV diameter at pretransplant Doppler ultrasound (median = 3.4 mm; P < 0.001). Cirrhosis in children appears also as a hemodynamic disease of the liver, correlated with cirrhosis severity. Surgical technique for PV reconstruction during LT was adapted accordingly. Liver Transplantation 23 1440–1450 2017 AASLD.