Bilateral pulmonary artery banding for transposition of the great arteries complex with coarctation

Surgical approaches for transposition of the great arteries with aortic arch obstruction include primary repair and two-stage repair. However, neither approach provides a satisfactory outcome. We report a case of patient who underwent two-stage repair, wherein arterial switch operation combined with aortic arch reconstruction was preceded by bilateral pulmonary artery banding; this yielded good outcomes. This approach safely avoids primary repair in the neonatal period and allows for the opportunity to evaluate right ventricle outlet tract stenosis before the definitive repair.     

Double switch operation for congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries after two-staged pulmonary artery banding

We describe a case of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (cc-TGA) successfully performed by the double switch operation after two-staged pulmonary artery banding (PAB). An eleven-year old boy diagnosed with cc-TGA underwent the first PAB at that age, followed by the second PAB one year later. Because of severe ventricular dysfunction and arrhythmia of the anatomic left ventricle, the intension of one-stage PAB was abandoned. Cardiac catheterization data from after the adequate second PAB provided the surgical indication for the anatomical correction and double switch operation (Senning+Jatene procedure) and this was successfully performed at age 14. Although cardioversion was required to treat supraventricular tachycardia in the early period after surgery, the patient was discharged from hospital and remains in good clinical condition at the last follow-up at 5 years with normal sinus rhythm and good biventricular function.     

Biventricular repair of double outlet right ventricle with non-committed ventricular septal defect (VSD) by VSD rerouting to the pulmonary artery and arterial switch

Objectives: Biventricular repair of double outlet right ventricle non-committed ventricular septal defect (DORVncVSD) is usually achieved by a VSD rerouting to the aorta. This technique can be limited by the presence of tricuspid chordae and by the pulmonary artery to tricuspid valve distance. Furthermore, there is an important risk of late subaortic obstruction related to the long patch required that creates a potential akinetic septal area. Presented here is another technique; by VSD rerouting to the pulmonary infundibulum and arterial switch. Methods: Ten patients, with DORVncVSD, underwent a VSD rerouting to the pulmonary infundibulum followed by arterial switch. Seven had a previous pulmonary artery banding and one a moderate infundibular stenosis. The median age at surgery was 16 months (range 3 weeks to 4.5 years). All patients had a bilateral infundibulum, with a large persistent subaortic conus, D malposition of the aorta, side-by-side vessels and double loop coronary patterns. The VSD was perimembranous with inlet or trabecular extension. Subaortic obstruction was constant. The VSD was severely distant from both the aortic and the pulmonary annulus. The operation was conducted through a combined approach. The VSD was constantly enlarged superiorly. The almost permanent subaortic obstruction was released. The VSD was always found quite close to the pulmonary infundibular ostium. The arterial switch technique was adapted to the complex coronary anatomy. Results: There was one non-cardiac death. At a mean follow-up of 20 months, all nine survivors are in NYHA class I, in sinus rhythm, and have no subaortic gradient greater than 15 mm. Conclusion: This technique of VSD rerouting to the pulmonary artery and arterial switch limits greatly the size of the rerouting patch, respects the tricuspid chordae and is independent of the pulmonary artery–tricuspid valve distance. In this early series of biventricular repair of DORVncVSD, the VSDs were always found close to the pulmonary artery, allowing this new type of repair.     

A new percutaneously adjustable, thoracoscopically implantable, pulmonary artery banding: an experimental study

BACKGROUND: In patients who undergo left ventricular retraining, multiple reoperations are often necessary to adjust the pulmonary artery banding. The availability of a percutaneously adjustable band would be very useful. METHODS: Ten lambs (10 to 25 kg) underwent pulmonary artery banding using a new device, 7 by thoracotomy and 3 by thoracoscopy. The possibility of percutaneously adjusting the band was evaluated immediately after operation in 10 animals and at 3 months in 8 animals. RESULTS: One death occurred on the day of the procedure from displacement of the device and another death was from infection. Immediate hemodynamic studies proved the feasibility of increasing right ventricular afterload in a precise and reversible way. After 3 months the band could still be precisely loosened or tightened in all but 1 animal. Autopsy revealed that all the devices were in the correct position and no fibrosis or adhesions were present around the devices, and there was no residual stenosis noted on the pulmonary artery. CONCLUSIONS: This new device may be a valuable alternative to the repeated pulmonary artery banding needed for ventricular preparation.     

Arterial switch operation with in situ coronary reallocation for transposition of great arteries with single coronary artery.

OBJECTIVES: Transposition of great arteries (TGA) with single coronary artery pattern is one of the high-risk groups for arterial switch operation (ASO). Any traction or kinking during coronary transfer can lead to a fatal outcome. With increase in experience, surgical results improved, but it did not completely eliminate the risks of coronary translocation. Many techniques have been described for transfer of single coronary and each one has its own merits and problems. We here in describe a new technique of in situ coronary reallocation during ASO for TGA with single coronary and also report the early and mid-term results with this new technique. METHODS: From September 1988 to June 2002, five consecutive cases of TGA with single coronary artery were operated employing this new technique. Their age ranged from 16 days to 9 months. ASO was done by transecting the great arteries just above the commissures. For coronary reallocation, hockey stick-shaped incisions were made in the facing sinuses of the proximal aorta and the pulmonary artery. These flaps were sutured in such a way that the coronary ostium was committed to the neo-aorta with the rest of surgical procedure done in the usual manner. RESULTS: All five patients had ASO. Additionally, four patients had closure of an associated ventricular septal defect and one patient had repair of the coarctation of the aorta. There was no in hospital mortality. All patients had follow-up echocardiograms at regular intervals, which showed no significant right or left ventricular outflow obstruction, no regional wall motion abnormalities and no neo-aortic or neo-pulmonary regurgitation. Three of five patients had cardiac catheterization and angiocardiography, which showed normal coronary arteries with no obstructive lesions and no neo-aortic regurgitation. Their follow up ranged from 5 to 50 months and there was no late mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This new coronary reallocation technique avoids problems related to coronary translocation such as traction and kinking. It spares the need for dissection of proximal coronary artery and its branches, and thereby eliminates the risk of development of fibrosis and stenosis. The same technique can be used regardless of the sinus of origin of the coronary artery. It is a reliable and a reproducible technique. The early and mid-term results appear excellent in this series.     

Arterial switch operation for a complex transposition of the great arteries in dextrocardia.

A very rare case of a newborn with dextrocardia, complete transposition of the great arteries {S,D,D}, ventricular septal defect, aortic arch hypoplasia, juxtaposition of the morphologically right atrial appendage and superoinferior ventricles is herein presented. He successfully underwent arterial switch operation, ventricular septal defect closure and aortic arch reconstruction with end to end extended direct anastomosis.