Predictors of outcome of biventricular repair in infants with multiple left heart obstructive lesions.

BACKGROUND

Decisions regarding surgical strategy in patients with multiple left heart obstructive or hypoplastic lesions often must be made in the newborn period and are seldom reversible. Predictors of outcome of biventricular repair have not been well defined in this heterogeneous group of patients, and risk factors described for critical aortic valve stenosis have been shown to be inapplicable to patients with other left heart obstructive lesions. The goal of this study was to identify echocardiographic predictors of outcome of biventricular repair for infants with multiple left heart obstructive lesions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Patients with >/=2 areas of left heart obstruction or hypoplasia, diagnosed at </=3 months of age, who had not previously undergone surgical or catheter intervention and maintained biventricular physiology were included (n=72). Failure of biventricular repair was defined as takedown to a univentricular repair, cardiac transplantation, and/or death (n=14; 19%). This group was compared with the patients who survived a biventricular approach (n=58). Multiple categorical, morphometric and calculated variables were examined on the basis of the initial echocardiograms. By multivariate analysis, predictors of failure included moderate/large ventricular septal defect (OR=22, P=0.001), unicommissural aortic valve (OR=16, P=0.006), and lower mitral valve dimension z-score (OR=2.2, P=0.02) or lower left ventricular end-diastolic volume z-score (OR=1.9, P=0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate/large ventricular septal defect, unicommissural aortic valve, and hypoplastic mitral valve or left ventricle are independent risk factors for failure of biventricular repair for infants with multiple left heart obstructive lesions. Combinations of these risk factors may be useful in selecting surgical strategy.