Brain abscess associated with congenital heart disease

Between 1952 and 1985, 25 cases of brain abscess with congenital heart disease were treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical College Hospital. Patients' ages ranged from 5 to 38 years. The most common form of congenital heart disease was tetralogy of Fallot, occurring in 13 cases. The abscesses were located in the parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes. The pus from the abscesses was sterile in 13 of 19 cases. In the rest, Streptococcus was the predominant organism. Twenty-three cases were treated by aspiration of the abscess through a burr hole. In two cases, initial aspiration was followed by excision of the abscess. The mortality rate of the whole group was 32%. The etiology of brain abscess in patients with congenital heart disease is discussed.     

Current status of surgery for congenital heart disease in infancy

During the past 10-15 years, a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of congenital heart disease, improved pre- and postoperative care, deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest, and miniaturization of equipment, among other factors, have contributed to the greatly increased safety of open-heart surgery in neonates and infants. Consequently a trend towards early correction has developed, which prompts the question: 'In which congenital heart anomalies presenting early in life should primary repair be preferred to initial palliation followed by late repair?' It is imperative to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of a two-stage 'palliative + corrective' procedure against primary correction. The latter is generally preferred for 'simpler' malformations such as ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, simple transposition and atrioventricular canal malformation, where repair can be achieved with low risk. On the other hand, palliation by pulmonary artery banding, atrial septectomy or a systemic-pulmonary shunt is still preferable in those conditions in which total correction in infancy carries a high risk or is not feasible. In an underdeveloped population group the decision may be influenced by the prevalent socio-economic factors affecting the physical condition of the patient. Palliative procedures may constitute a very satisfactory method of selecting those patients in whom eventual complete correction would be justified.     

Right-side congenital pericardial defect associated with ischemic heart disease

We report an unusual right-side congenital pericardial defect with herniation of the right atrium to the right thoracic cavity found intraoperatively in a 73- year-old man undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting for triple-vessel coronary artery disease. The right atrial wall showed fibrous changes due to contact with the defect edge. We suspected that the right coronary artery was obstructed by chronic strangulation of the right atrium. We repaired the defect with a polytetrafluoroethylene patch to prevent it from compressing the bypass graft and coronary arteries.     

Pulmonary artery banding in congenital heart disease associated with pulmonary hypertension

A report is presented of pulmonary artery banding in 45 children with congenital heart disease associated with severe pulmonary hypertension. The majority were in uncontrollable heart failure and were in the age group 3 to 18 months. Nine older children not in heart failure were operated on because of serious pulmonary hypertension associated with malformations considered unsuitable for complete repair (truncus arteriosus, single ventricle). The mortality in those with uncomplicated ventricular septal defect was low (5.5%), but was much higher in those with accompanying lesions or more complex abnormalities (63%). All have been under supervision since operation and most have improved with diminution in cardiac size and recession of pulmonary congestion. Two have been recatheterized and both have undergone successful closure of their ventricular septal defect. It is our intention to reinvestigate many of the others three to four years after banding to assess the size of the defect prior to further surgery.     

Risk associated with anesthesia for noncardiac surgery in children with congenital heart disease

Database analysis has indicated that perioperative cardiac arrest occurs with increased frequency in children with congenital heart disease. Several case series and large datasets from ACS NSQIP have identified subgroups at the highest risk. Consistently, patients with single ventricle physiology (especially prior to cavopulmonary anastomosis), severe/supra‐systemic pulmonary hypertension, complex lesions, and cardiomyopathy with significantly reduced ventricular function have been shown to be at increased risk for adverse events. Based on these results, algorithms for assessing risk have been proposed. How hospitals and health care systems apply these guidelines to provide safe care for these challenging patient groups requires the application of modern quality improvement techniques. Each institution should develop a system which reflects local expertise and resources.     

Orthotopic transplantation during early infancy as therapy for incurable congenital heart disease.

Since November 1985, 14 neonates and young infants have undergone orthotopic heart transplantation at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC) as therapy for hypoplastic aortic tract complex. Eleven (78%) survived surgery and are living and well today. Three perioperative deaths resulted: one due to perforated peptic ulcer, one due to necrotizing pneumonitis, and one due to graft failure unrelated to rejection. No late deaths occurred in the 1-29 months of follow-up, during which time noninvasive surveillance techniques were used. Immunosuppression was accomplished using cyclosporine and azathioprine. Steroids and antithymocyte globulin were used for identified rejection episodes only. Ordinary childhood infections were tolerated well. All survivors were normotensive. There was no late renal dysfunction. Although inadequate donor resources remain a significant limiting factor for transplantation therapy during early life, these results suggest that cardiac transplantation is effective therapy for selected neonates and young infants with incurable congenital heart disease.     

Anesthesia in children with congenital heart disease

Anesthesiologists involved in the care of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have to understand the pathophysiology of each cardiac lesion and anticipate the impact of the planned procedure. Often the dimished margin of hemodynamic stability determines the guidelines of care. In children with CHD maintainance of the homeostasis during anesthesia for a wide variety of procedures is the anesthesiologist's challenge. Left-to-right shunting means a volume load to the left ventricle frequently combined with pulmonary hypertension. Right-to-left shunting leads to a central cyanosis.     

Infective endocarditis with congenital heart disease

From 1988 to 2005, seven patients were operated at our hospital because of infectious endocarditis (IE) with congenital heart disease (CHD). Underlying CHD included ventricular septal defect (VSD) in 4 (2 previous operations with residual region), atrial septal defect (ASD) in 2 and bicuspid aortic stenosis (AS) in 1. No cases had preventive antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures. We could confirm bacteria origin from blood culture in all cases, but two patients had operations without gaining control of the infection. VSD or ASD closure and valve surgery were performed in four patients. One patient had a VSD closure, two patients had valve surgery. There were no operative or hospital deaths and there were no recurrences of IE during the study period. We successfully treated IE with CHD by enough debridement of the infective focus of IE, and valve surgery. It is important for patients with CHD to have preventive antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures.     

Infective endocarditis with congenital heart disease

From 1988 to 2005, seven patients were operated at our hospital because of infectious endocarditis (IE) with congenital heart disease (CHD). Underlying CHD included ventricular septal defect (VSD) in 4 (2 previous operations with residual region), atrial septal defect (ASD) in 2 and bicuspid aortic stenosis (AS) in 1. No cases had preventive antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures. We could confirm bacteria origin from blood culture in all cases, but two patients had operations without gaining control of the infection. VSD or ASD closure and valve surgery were performed in four patients. One patient had a VSD closure, two patients had valve surgery. There were no operative or hospital deaths and there were no recurrences of IE during the study period. We successfully treated IE with CHD by enough debridement of the infective focus of IE, and valve surgery. It is important for patients with CHD to have preventive antibiotic prophylaxis for dental procedures.     

Management of acquired tracheal obstructions in infancy.

Endoscopic resection of tracheal subglottic stenosis can be performed safely and effectively. With careful selection, some stenotic rings can be excised without the requirement for prior tracheostomy. Endoscopic resection does not supplant other methods of dilatation, injection, or stenting of subglottic scars, but early resection in appropriate cases may reduce the number of dilatations and obviate the need for a stent and systemic steroids.     

Brain injury in children with congenital heart disease

The incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment in children with congenital heart disease is high. Its aetiology is multiple and complex. Prevention and treatment must start during the preoperative period and continue through the intra- and postoperative periods. Research has resulted in a clearer understanding of the relationship between congenital heart disease and the brain, and of the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermia and circulatory arrest. This has led to modifications in management which may improve neurological outcome in the future.     

Laparoscopic gastrostomy in children with congenital heart disease

AIM: The aim of this study was to study the type and frequency of complications and change in weight after a laparoscopic gastrostomy procedure in 31 children with congenital heart disease, comparing patient groups of children with univentricular and biventricular circulation, and with completed and uncompleted cardiac surgery. METHODS: The method used was that of a retrospective study of all 31 children with congenital heart disease who underwent a laparoscopic gastrostomy at our center from 1995 to 2004. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative complications and body weight changes during follow-up were the main outcome measures used in this study. RESULTS: Minor stoma-related problems were common in both groups. Two severe complications requiring an operative intervention occurred in the univentricular circulation group. Weight was normal at birth, low at the time of the gastrostomy procedure, and did not catch up completely during the follow-up period of a mean of 20 months. There were no significant differences regarding mean weight gain between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The complication rate after the laparoscopic gastrostomy procedure was higher in our patient group, compared to previously studied children with various diseases. Comparisons regarding mean weight gain between the groups showed no significant differences. The mean weight gain was low, suggesting that the energy expenditure in this patient group of children with severe congenital heart disease may be even higher than previously assumed.     

Laparoscopic surgery in children with congenital heart disease

PurposeThe study aim was to determine outcomes of children with congenital heart disease who underwent laparoscopic procedures.MethodsA single-institution, institutional review board–approved, retrospective review was conducted including children younger than 5 years with congenital heart disease who underwent laparoscopic or open abdominal procedures. Patient demographics, operative details, complications, and 30-day mortality were examined.ResultsOver 10 years, 111 children with congenital heart disease underwent 121 laparoscopic procedures. Median age was 2.5 months, with 87% being infants. Laparoscopic gastrostomy was the most common procedure (101). There was no intraoperative hemodynamic instability, median operative time was 70 minutes, postoperative complications were low (5%), and all children were alive at 30 days. Only 8 patients required conversion from laparoscopic to open, all secondary to technical issues, not hemodynamic instability. There were 42 children with cardiac disease who underwent 45 open procedures during the study period. There were no significant differences between patient demographics, type of procedure, operative time, complications, or 30-day mortality comparing the open and laparoscopic groups.ConclusionIn this review, there were no major contraindications to performing laparoscopic procedures in children with congenital heart disease, and we conclude that it is reasonably safe to perform laparoscopic surgery on these children.