To analyse the long-term patency of coronary arteries after neonatal arterial switch operation (ASO). A retrospective study of the operative reports, follow-up and postoperative catheterisation data of 119 patients, who underwent the great arteries (TGA) repair since 1991, has been carried out. Among the 133 survivors of the 137 ASOs performed between 1991 and 2007, 119 patients have been studied by routine control cardiac catheterisation and form the study population. Median time between repair and the coronary angiography was 2.9±1.9 years. A comparison between the eight patients (6.7% out of the entire study population), known to have postoperative coronary obstructions (group I) and the rest of the cohort with angiographic normal coronary vessels (group II) was performed by univariate analysis of variance and logistic regression models. One patient had surgical plasty of the left coronary main stem with subsequent percutaneous angioplasty, three patients had primary coronary stent implantation and four patients had no further intervention at all. In group I, all but one patient denied symptoms of chest pain and echocardiography failed to show any difference between the two groups in terms of left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction group I 61±2% vs 62±6% of group II, p=1.0). The association of coronary obstruction with complex native coronary anatomy (Yacoub type B to E) was evident at both univariate (62% of group I vs 22% of group II, p=0.04) and logistic regression (p=0.007, odds ratio (OR) 8.1) models. The type of coronary reimplantation (i.e., coronary buttons on punch vs trap-door techniques) was similar between the two groups (punch reimplantation in 25% of patients of group I vs 31% of group II, p=0.1) as was the relative position of the great vessels (aorta anterior in 100% of patients of group I vs 96% of group II; univariate, p=0.1). The late outcome in terms of survival and functional status after ASO is excellent. Nevertheless, the risk of a clinically silent late coronary artery obstruction of the reimplanted coronary arteries warrants a prolonged follow-up protocol involving invasive angiographic assessment.

Low birth weight or premature infants may require early surgical treatment of congenital cardiac lesions because of their poor clinical status. Even thought early repair or palliation is carried out with incremental risk factor for morbidity and mortality, it has been demonstrated to be preferable to medical management and delayed surgery. This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate early and mid-term results in infants, weighing less than 2500 g, who underwent surgery other than patent ductus arteriosus closure. Since January 1993 to August 2002, 60 consecutive patients underwent early surgical treatment of congenital heart malformations at our institution. 27 patients were premature (born before 37 weeks of gestation). Ninety percent were severely symptomatic. Mean age at operation was 15.5 days (range 4-68 days). Mean weight was 2120 g (range 900-2500 g). Indications for surgery were: coarctation complex 11, transposition of great arteries 9, interrupted or severely hypoplastic aortic arch 9, hypoplastic left heart syndrome 7, truncus arteriosus 5, other 19. Thirty-five patients were operated on CPB, Deep Hypothermia with Circulatory Arrest was used in 9. Complete repair was achieved in 32 patients. Aortic arch reconstruction was required in 32 cases. There were nine early deaths (15%): heart failure (5), multiorgan failure (3), sepsis (1). Age, weight, prematurity, type of surgery and use of cardio pulmonary by-pass did not influence early mortality. Mean intensive care unit stay and duration of mechanical ventilation were 5.8 days and 75.5 h, respectively. Postoperative neurological complications did not occur in any patient. At follow-up (mean 48 months) there were nine late deaths. Kaplan-Meier survival at 60 months was 70%. Surgery for congenital heart disease can be performed in low weight critically ill infants with reduced, but still acceptable early and mid-term survival.

Objective Children undergoing Ross operation were expected to have longer autograft, but shorter homograft durability compared with adults. In order to define the outcome in the second decade after Ross operation in children, a nationwide review of 23 years of experience was undertaken. Methods 305 children underwent Ross operation in 11 paediatric units between 1990 and 2012. Age at surgery was 9.4±5.7 years, indication aortic stenosis in 103 patients, regurgitation in 109 and mixed lesion in 93. 116 (38%) patients had prior procedures. Root replacement was performed in 201 patients, inclusion cylinder in 14, subcoronary grafting in 17 and Ross–Konno in 73. Results There were 10 (3.3%) hospital and 12 late deaths (median follow-up 8.7 years). Survival was 93±2% and 89±3% and freedom from any reoperation was 76±3% and 67±6% at 10 and 15 years. 34 children had autograft 37 reoperations (25 replacement, 12 repair): three required transplantation after reoperation. Freedom from autograft reoperation was 86±3% and 75±6% at 10 and 15 years. 32 children had right heart redo procedures, and only 25 (78%) conduit replacements (15-year freedom from replacement, 89±4%). Prior operation (p=0.031), subcoronary implant (p=0.025) and concomitant surgical procedure (p=0.004) were risk factors for left heart reoperation, while infant age (p=0.015) was for right heart. The majority (87%) of late survivors were in NYHA class I, 68% free from medication and six women had pregnancies. Conclusions Despite low hospital risk and satisfactory late survival, paediatric Ross operation bears substantial valve-related morbidity in the first two decades. Contrary to expectation, autograft reoperation is more common than homograft.