Comparison between the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt and right ventricular outflow tract stent in the palliative treatment for tetralogy of Fallot.

OBJECTIVES

For patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) who are not suitable candidates for primary corrective surgery or have a high surgical risk, transcatheter right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stent implantation is considered a safe and effective palliative intervention. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic outcomes of RVOT stent implantation in neonates and infants with TOF in comparison with the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (mBTS) and to compare the impact of the 2 palliative interventions on arterial oxygen saturation and pulmonary artery development in pediatric patients.

METHODS

Clinical data of 32 patients with TOF admitted to the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from March 2011 to March 2021 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into an mBTS group (undergoing mBTS, =15) and a stent implantation group (undergoing RVOT stenting, =17) according to the surgical procedures. The 2 groups were assessed and compared in the surgical-related arterial oxygen saturation, postoperative complication rate, mortality rate, and re-intervention rate. The development of the patients' main pulmonary artery, right pulmonary artery, and left pulmonary artery was assessed by z-scores according to echocardiographic results.

RESULTS

The children in the stent implantation group were younger and less weighed compared with the mBTS group (both <0.05). Compared with the preoperative period, children in the stent implantation group had significantly higher arterial oxygen saturation [(75±17)% vs (96±3)%, =0.026]; z-scores of pulmonary trunk [(-2.82±1.27) points vs (0.86±0.77) points, =0.014], right pulmonary artery [(-1.88±0.59) points vs (-0.28±0.71) points, =0.011], and left pulmonary artery [(-2.34±0.36) points vs (-1.67±0.36) points, =0.036] were significantly increased. However, there were no significant differences in arterial oxygen saturation and pulmonary artery z-scores between pre- and post-mBTS procedures (all >0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

RVOT stent would have good surgical outcomes used in TOF patients with low weight and severe comorbidities. It also leads to an higher postoperative oxygen saturation and better promotion of pulmonary artery growth with RVOT stent compared to mBTS.