Late clinical features of patients with pulmonary atresia or critical pulmonary stenosis with intact ventricular septum after biventricular repair.

BACKGROUND

We aimed to reveal late clinical features of patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) or critical pulmonary stenosis (cPS) after biventricular repair (BVR) based on preoperative right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) findings.

METHODS

Since 1985, 23 of 73 patients with PA/IVS (n=22) or cPS (n=1) with a tripartite RV and without major sinusoidal communication underwent BVR with a hybrid approach. The mean age and weight at BVR were 1.4±2.1 years and 6.9±5.9 kg, respectively. Mean follow-up was 10.1±6.4 years (range, 1.1 to 24.6 years).

RESULTS

Overall survival, reintervention-free, and arrhythmia-free rates at 20 years were 90.6%, 75.4%, and 50.4%, respectively. In 19 patients with preoperative RVEDV of 60% to 120% of normal, echocardiography at 10 years after BVR showed well-maintained RV systolic function. However, RV volume was quantitatively dilated in 16 (88.9%) due to moderate or greater tricuspid regurgitation in 8 (44.4%), pulmonary regurgitation in 12 (66.7%), or both, which caused arrhythmia in 3 patients more than 10 years after BVR. Two patients with preoperative RVEDV of greater than 120% of normal required tricuspid valve replacement after BVR, after which refractory atrial tachyarrhythmia developed in both patients. Furthermore, 2 patients with preoperative RVEDV of less than 60% of normal showed a cardiac index value within 2.5 L/min/m2 at 1 year after BVR, which did not improve.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with PA/IVS or cPS and adequately sized RV showed good late clinical features after BVR. However, long-term follow-up examinations are necessary for RV dilatation and late-onset arrhythmia.