Outcomes After Hybrid Palliation for Infants With Critical Left Heart Obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid palliation (bilateral pulmonary artery banding with or without ductal stenting) is an initial management strategy for infants with critical left heart obstruction and serves as palliation until subsequent operations are pursued. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine patient characteristics and factors associated with subsequent outcomes for infants who underwent hybrid palliation. METHODS: From 2005 to 2019, 214 of 1,236 prospectively enrolled infants within the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society's critical left heart obstruction cohort underwent hybrid palliation across 24 institutions. Multivariable hazard modeling with competing risk methodology was performed to determine risk and factors associated with outcomes of biventricular repair, Fontan procedure, transplantation, or death. RESULTS: Preoperative comorbidities (eg, prematurity, low birth weight, genetic syndrome) were identified in 70% of infants (150 of 214). Median follow-up was 7 years, ranging up to 17 years. Overall 12-year survival was 55%. At 5 years after hybrid palliation, 9% had biventricular repair, 36% had Fontan procedure, 12% had transplantation, 35% died without surgical endpoints, and 8% were alive without an endpoint. Factors associated with transplantation were absence of ductal stent, older age, absent interatrial communication, smaller aortic root size, larger tricuspid valve area z-score, and larger left ventricular volume. Factors associated with death were low birth weight, concomitant genetic syndrome, cardiopulmonary bypass use during hybrid palliation, moderate to severe tricuspid valve regurgitation, and smaller ascending aortic size. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality remains high after hybrid palliation for infants with critical left heart obstruction. Nonetheless, hybrid palliation may facilitate biventricular repair for some infants and for others may serve as stabilization for intended functional univentricular palliation or primary transplantation.

Hybrid palliation versus nonhybrid management for a multi-institutional cohort of infants with critical left heart obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To compare patient characteristics and overall survival for infants with critical left heart obstruction after hybrid palliation (bilateral pulmonary artery banding with or without ductal stenting) versus nonhybrid management (eg, Norwood, primary transplantation, biventricular repair, or transcatheter/surgical aortic valvotomy). METHODS: From 2005 to 2019, 1045 infants in the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society critical left heart obstruction cohort underwent interventions across 28 institutions. Using a balancing score propensity analysis, 214 infants who underwent hybrid palliation and 831 infants who underwent nonhybrid management were proportionately matched regarding variables significantly associated with mortality and variables noted to significantly differ between groups. Overall survival between the 2 groups was adjusted by applying balancing scores to nonparametric estimates. RESULTS: Compared with the nonhybrid management group, infants who underwent hybrid palliation had lower birth weight, smaller gestational age, and higher prevalence of in-utero interventions, noncardiac comorbidities, preoperative mechanical ventilation, absent interatrial communication, and moderate or severe mitral valve stenosis (all P values < .03). Unadjusted 12-year survival after hybrid palliation and nonhybrid management, was 55% versus 69%, respectively. After matching, 12-year survival after hybrid palliation versus nonhybrid management was 58% versus 63%, respectively (P = .37). Among matched infants born weighing <2.5 kg, 2-year survival after hybrid palliation versus nonhybrid management was 37% versus 51%, respectively (P = .22). CONCLUSIONS: Infants born with critical left heart obstruction who undergo hybrid palliation have more high-risk characteristics and anatomy versus infants who undergo nonhybrid management. Nonetheless, after adjustment, there was no significant difference in 12-year survival after hybrid palliation versus nonhybrid management. Mortality remains high, and hybrid palliation confers no survival advantage, even for lower-birth-weight infants.

Norwood operation versus comprehensive stage II after bilateral pulmonary artery banding palliation for infants with critical left heart obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To determine patient characteristics and outcomes after Norwood versus comprehensive stage II (COMPSII) for infants with critical left heart obstruction who had prior hybrid palliation (bilateral pulmonary artery banding ± ductal stent). METHODS: From 23 Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society institutions (2005-2020), 138 infants underwent hybrid palliation followed by either Norwood (n = 73, 53%) or COMPSII (n = 65). Baseline characteristics were compared between Norwood and COMPSII groups. Parametric hazard model with competing risk methodology was used to determine risk and factors associated with outcomes of Fontan, transplantation, or death. RESULTS: Infants who underwent Norwood versus COMPSII had a higher prevalence of prematurity (26% vs 14%, P = .08), lower birth weight (median 2.8 vs 3.2 kg, P < .01) and less frequent ductal stenting (37% vs 99%; P < .01). Norwood was performed at a median age of 44 days and median weight of 3.5 kg, versus COMPSII at 162 days and 6.0 kg (both P < .01). Median follow-up was 6.5 years. At 5 years after Norwood and COMPSII, respectively; 50% versus 68% had Fontan (P = .16), 3% versus 5% had transplantation (P = .70), 40% versus 15% died (P = .10), and 7% versus 11% are alive without transition, respectively. For factors associated with either mortality or Fontan, only preoperative mechanical ventilation occurred more frequently in the Norwood group. CONCLUSIONS: Higher prevalence of prematurity, lower birth weight, and other patient-related characteristics in the Norwood versus COMPSII groups may influence differences in outcomes that were not statistically significant for this limited risk-adjusted cohort. The clinical decision regarding Norwood versus COMPSII after initial hybrid palliation remains challenging.

Expression of MiRNA-29b and MiRNA-31 and their diagnostic and prognostic values in Egyptian females with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a major health threat to women globally. Many circulating microRNAs are non-invasive cancer biomarkers. In this study, the expression of miR-29b and miR-31 was assessed in blood samples from 200 patients with breast cancer and wholesome volunteer women using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR to evaluate their role in the disease. MiR-29b was significantly overexpressed in patients compared to controls. Multivariate regression analysis showed that it was an established risk factor for relapse and mortality. MiR-31 was significantly under-expressed in patients. It was an established risk factor for relapse and was strongly associated with mortality. For the prediction of relapse, miR-29b had a sensitivity of 81.25% and a specificity of 88.24% at a cutoff of > 30.09, while miR-31 had a sensitivity of 87.50% and a specificity of 79.41% at a cutoff of 0.12. The specificity was enhanced to 100% by combining the values of miR-29b and miR-31. In predicting mortality, miR-29b exhibited a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 97.5% at a cutoff of > 48.10. At a cutoff of 0.119, miR-31 exhibited a sensitivity of 87.50% and a specificity of 79.41%. High miR-29b expression and low miR-31 expression were linked with a low survival rate. MiR-29b and miR-31 could be useful markers for predicting breast cancer relapse and mortality.