Mohammad Mahdavi

Predictors of Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation in Pediatric Patients After Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Background: The duration of mechanical ventilation (MV) is one of the most important clinical factors which predict outcomes in pediatric cardiac surgery. The prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) following cardiac surgery is a multifactorial phenomenon and there are conflicts regarding its predictors in pediatric population between different centers. Objectives: The current study aimed to describe PMVpredictors in patients undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease in a tertiary center for pediatric cardiovascular diseases in Iran. Patients and Methods: From May to December 2014, all pediatric patients (less than a month -15 years old) admitted to pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) after congenital heart surgeries were consecutively included. The PMV was defined as mechanical ventila- tion duration more than 72 hours as medium PMV and more than seven days as extended PMV. The demographic data and variables probably related to PMV were recorded during the PICU stay. Results: A total of 300 patients, 56.7% male, were enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 32 ± 40 months .The median duration (IQR) of MVwas 18 hours (8.6 - 48 hours). The incidence of PMV more than 72 hours and seven days was 20% and 10.7%, respectively. Younger age, lower weight, heart failure, higher doses of inotropes, pulmonary hypertension, respiratory infections and delayed sternal closure were independent predictors of PMV in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that PMV predictors could be specific for each center and a good administration program is needed for each pediatric cardiac surgery center for the preoperative management of patients undergoing congenital heart surgeries.

Inflammatory cytokine response and cardiac troponin I changes in cardiopulmonary bypass using two cardioplegia solutions; del Nido and modified St. Thomas’: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Long intervals of del Nido (DN) solution administration, 90 minutes, may result in rewarming of the myocardial tissue and elevate metabolic demand and hypoxia. This will potentially increase inflammatory response due to ischemia-reperfusion injury. We conducted this study to compare the inflammatory response between patients receiving DN and multi-dose St Thomas’ cardioplegia solution (MST) in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery for the correction of tetralogy of Fallot (TF). Methods: Fifty-nine pediatric patients undergoing TF total correction surgery were randomly assigned into two groups: DN and MST. The patients’ demographic data, blood chemistry parameters, hemodynamics and other clinical variables were recorded. TNF-a, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and cTnI were measured after anesthesia induction (before skin incision), immediately after cross-clamp removal and 24 hours after admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Results: Thirty-two patients of a mean age of 28.0±16.4 months received DN and 27 patients of a mean age of 24.2±15.9 months received MST. Perioperative clinical parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. Cytokine levels for all patients were significantly increased after surgery. Inter-group comparisons of cytokine levels demonstrated no significant differences in TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 cytokines levels. IL-10 level showed a moderately significant increase in the MST group compared to the DN group after surgery (2.94±0.9 vs. 2.46±0.61 log10 pg/mL, respectively; p=0.039). Postoperative lactate level was significantly different between two groups (2.475±1.29 vs 1.63±0.82 mg/dL in DN and MST groups, respectively; p=0.007). CTnI levels increased after surgery and remained constant until 24 hours after surgery. Significant differences between the MST and DN groups, at all times, were not detected. Conclusions: The anti-inflammatory cytokine response in the MST group is significantly better than in the DN group. This may be due to shorter intervals of the MST cardioplegia solution administration, which prevents rewarming of the myocardium, increased metabolic demand and hypoxia. Decreasing the intervals of DN administration may improve its cardioprotective properties.

Early and Mid-Term Outcome of Pediatric Congenital Mitral Valve Surgery

Background: Congenital lesions of the mitral valve are relatively rare and are associated with a wide spectrum of cardiac malformations. The surgical management of congenital mitral valve malformations has been a great challenge. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the early and intermediate-term outcome of congenital mitral valve (MV) surgery in children and to identify the predictors for poor postoperative outcomes and death. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, 100 consecutive patients with congenital MV disease undergoing mitral valve surgery were reviewed in 60-month follow-up (mean, 42.4 ± 16.4 months) during 2008 - 2013. Twenty-six patients (26%) were under one-year old. The mean age and weight of the patients were 41.63 ± 38.18 months and 11.92 ± 6.12 kg, respectively. The predominant lesion of the mitral valve was MV stenosis (MS group) seen in 21% and MR (MR group) seen in 79% of the patients. All patients underwent preoperative two- dimensional echocardiography and then every six months after surgery Results: Significant improvement in degree of MR was noted in all patients with MR during postoperative and follow-up period in both patients with or without atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) (P = 0.045 in patients with AVSD and P = 0.008 in patients without AVSD). Decreasing trend of mean gradient (MG) in MS group was statistically significant (P = 0.005). In patients with MR, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) had improved postoperatively (P < 0.001). Although PAP in patients with MV stenosis was reduced, this reduction was not statistically significant (P = 0.17). In-hospital mortality was 7%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age (P < 0.001), weight (P < 0.001), and pulmonary stenosis (P = 0.03) are strong predictors for mortality. Based on the echocardiography report at the day of discharge from hospital, surgical results were optimal (up to moderate degree for MR group and up to mild degree for MS group) in 85.7% of patients with MS and in 76.6% of patients with MR. Age (P = 0.002) and weight (P = 0.003) of patients are strong predictors for surgical success in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Surgical repair of the congenital MV disease yields acceptable early and intermediate-term satisfactory valve function and good survival at intermediate-term follow-up. Strong predictors for poor surgical outcome and death were age smaller than 1 year, weight smaller or equal than 6 kg, and associated cardiac anomalies such as pulmonary stenosis.

Surgical Repair for Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a very rare congenital heart defect. Herein, we describe three cases of ARCAPA in an 8 months old, 18 months old, and 4 year old child. Two cases were incidentally diagnosed using a computed tomographic angiograph, and the other was incidentally diagnosed using a coronary angiograph. These cases underwent a reimplantation technique on diagnosis and resulting in positive clinical outcomes during the follow-up period which was a mean of 1.5 years.

Coarctation of the Aorta

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) firstly was described by Morgagni in 1760 during the autopsy of a monk as a segment of constriction in the distal aorta [1]. Jordan (1827) and Reynaud (1828) provided more detailed pathoanatomic descriptions [2].

Anomalous right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA), and aberrant right subclavian artery in a 2-month infant with heart failure

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA) is a very rare congenital heart anomaly. Most of the cases are asymptomatic during infancy and childhood. We report ARCAPA associated with aberrant right subclavian artery in a 2-month male infant presenting with heart failure. We used computed tomography angiography for confirming the diagnosis and also for post-operative follow-up.

The Outcomes of Superior Cavopulmonary Connection Operation: a Single Center Experience

Introduction The superior cavopulmonary connection operation is one of the stages of the palliative surgical management for patients with functionally single ventricle. After surviving this stage, the patients are potential candidates for the final palliative procedure: the Fontan operation. Objectives This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of superior cavopulmonary connection operations in our center and to identify factors affecting the survival and the progression to Fontan stage. Methods The outcomes of 161 patients were retrospectively analyzed after undergoing superior cavopulmonary connection operation in our center between 2005 and 2015. Results The early mortality rate was 2.5%. Five (3.1%) patients underwent takedown of the superior cavopulmonary connection. The rate of exclusion from the Fontan stage was 8.3%. Statistical analysis revealed that elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively and the prior palliation with pulmonary artery banding were risk factors for both early mortality and takedown; however, the age, the morphology of the single ventricle and the type of operation were not considered risk factors. Conclusion The superior cavopulmonary connection operation can be performed with low rate mortality and morbidity; however, the elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively and the prior pulmonary artery banding are associated with poor outcomes.

Mid-term outcomes of surgical repair for anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery: In infants, children and adults

Background: Anomalous origin of left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital malformation. We sought to evaluate in-hospital and mid-term outcomes of patients with a diagnosis of ALCAPA who underwent surgical repair. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of surgical repair of ALCAPA at our center and to analyze the surgical techniques used. Materials and Methods: In a retrospective study, we analyzed early and mid-term clinical and echocardiographic data to determine the outcomes of patients who underwent surgical repair of ALCAPA in our institution between 2005 and 2015. Results: Twenty-one patients underwent surgical repair for ALCAPA using aortic reimplantation (n = 10, 47.6%), ostial closure. (n = 8, 38.1%), or ligation. (n = 3, 14.3%). The median age of patients was 24. months. (range 22 days to 51 years). There were 2 (9.5%) in-hospital mortalities in infants undergoing the reimplantation technique. All patients were followed up for a median of 21 months. (range 1–60 months). No patients required reoperation, and there was no mortality from discharge to mid-term follow-up. Severe early postoperative mitral regurgitation. (MR) was associated with composite end-point, defined as a combination of mortality after surgery, moderate to severe MR, and moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction at late follow-up. (P = 0.019) while mitral valve repair was not. (P = 0.469). Conclusion: The surgical management of ALCAPA can be associated with good in-hospital and mid-term outcomes regardless of the age, at which the patient has been operated.

The Ebstein Anomaly

The exaggerated apical displacement of the septal and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve (TV) in tandem with leaflet dysplasia and adherence of the tricuspid valve leaflets to the underlying right ventricle (RV) myocardium are the diagnostic features of the Ebstein anomaly. Usually, in the normal heart, there is a 10 mm distance between the mitral annulus and tricuspid annulus. In the Ebstein anomaly, the apical displacement of the septal leaflet of the TV is 8 mm/m 2 or more, associated with elongated, tethered anterior TV leaflet [1–3].

Tetralogy of Fallot

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) as the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease (CHD) is a complex heart defect consisting of four components: