The influence of maternal COVID-19 on cardiac functions: From fetal life to infancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate both short and mid-term effects of maternal COVID-19 on cardiac functions of fetuses and children. METHODS: The present case-control study was conducted on 36 pregnant women who had COVID-19 infection in the second trimester of pregnancy and 30 pregnant women as healthy controls. Fetal, neonatal, and infant cardiac functions were compared between the groups. Assessment of fetal cardiac functions were performed in the last trimester of the pregnancy at least 6 weeks after the recovery of infection. The first postnatal echo was performed within the first 2 weeks and the follow-up (second) echo was performed in the 6-8 weeks of life. RESULTS: The demographic data were similar between groups. Interventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic dimensions were significantly higher in the study group in both fetal, neonatal, and infant periods. Impaired diastolic functions of right and left ventricles were detected and myocardial performance indexes with tissue doppler imaging of both lateral walls and septum were significantly higher than controls at all periods. CONCLUSION: Maternal COVID-19 seems to have a global impact on the cardiac functions of babies in the short and mid-term periods after maternal recovery.

Comparative Analysis of Modified BT Shunt and Central Shunt in Pediatric Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cyanotic congenital heart diseases constitute 40-45% of all congenital heart diseases. In patients who are not suitable for primary repair, modified BT (MBT) shunt and central shunt (CS) procedures are still frequently used. METHODS: This study included 62 pediatric patients who underwent MBT shunt or CS via median sternotomy. Patients' demographic, echocardiographic, operative, and postoperative data were collected retrospectively. The patients were classified as single ventricle and bi-ventricle according to their cardiac anatomy, and the presence of prematurity and heterotaxy was noted. Procedure details of the patients who underwent endovascular intervention prior to the surgery were investigated, and operation data were accessed from the surgery notes. Data regarding postoperative follow-ups were obtained and comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: Of the total 62 patients, 32 (51.6%) were newborns and 16 (25.8%) had a body weight < 3 kg. MBT shunt was applied to 48 patients (77.4%), while CS was applied to 14 patients (22.6%). There was no significant difference between the two surgical procedures in terms of requirement for urgent shunt or cardiopulmonary bypass, additional simultaneous surgical intervention, need for high postoperative inotropes, and in-hospital mortality (P>0.05). The rate of congestive heart failure in patients with in-hospital mortality was determined as 66.7% and it was significantly higher than in patients without heart failure (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: MBT shunt and CS are still frequently used in cyanotic patients. The use of small-diameter shunts, particularly when centrally located, can prevent the onset of congestive heart failure and lower mortality.

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of coarctation surgery between neonates and infants.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of resection and extended end-to-end anastomosis between neonate and infant patients with coarctation. METHODS: This study was designed retrospectively and included 41 neonate (<30 days) and infant (30 days to 1 year) patients who were operated on using the resection and extended end-to-end anastomosis technique for aortic coarctation. Preoperative aortic annulus diameters and Z scores, all aortic arch diameters and Z scores, the presence of hypoplastic aortic segment, and the presence of prematurity were reviewed in both groups. Subsequently, we investigated whether these parameters were statistically related to the residual gradient in the operation area, whether there was a need for early re-intervention, and what was the incidence of mortality in the early postoperative period. In addition, the aortic arch Z scores of the patients at 6 months postoperatively were examined. RESULTS: While the mean age (p<0.001), body weight (p<0.001), and proximal arch Z score (p=0.029) were found to be significantly lower in the neonate group than in the infant group, the total length of the intensive care unit stay (p=0.013) and the total length of hospital stay (p=0.017) were found to be significantly higher. In addition, significant enlargement was detected in the proximal arch, distal arch, and isthmus segments in both patient groups. CONCLUSION: The resection and extended end-to-end anastomosis is an equally effective technique that can provide a marked decrease in gradient in the coarctation area and a significant enlargement of the aortic arch segments in the early period after coarctation repair in both neonate and infant patients.

A Retrospective Survey Comparing Suture Techniques Regarding the Risk of Permanent Epicardial Pacemaker Implantation After Ventricular Septal Defect Closure.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the continuous and combined suturing techniques in regards to the needing epicardial pacing at the time of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (EP-CPB) and to evaluate permanent epicardial pacemaker (PEP) implantation in patients who had undergone surgical ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure. METHODS: This single-centre retrospective survey includes 365 patients who had consecutively undergone VSD closure between January 2006 and October 2015. RESULTS: The median age and weight of the patients were 15 months (range 27 days - 56.9 years) and 10 kg (range 3.5 - 100 kg), respectively. Continuous and combined suturing techniques were utilised in 302 (82.7%) and 63 (17.3%) patients, respectively. While 25 (6.8%) patients required EP-CPB, PEP was implanted in eight (2.2%) patients. Comparison of the continuous and combined suturing techniques regarding the need for EP-CPB (72% vs. 28%, P=0.231) and PEP implantation (87.5% vs. 12.5%, P=1.0) were not statistically significant. The rate of PEP implantation in patients with perimembraneous VSD without extension and perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension did not reveal significant difference between the suture techniques (P=1.0 and P=0.16, respectively). In both univariate and multivariate analyses, large VSD (P=0.001; OR 8.63; P=0.011) and perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension (P<0.001; OR 9.02; P=0.005) had a significant influence on PEP implantation. CONCLUSION: Both suturing techniques were comparable regarding the need for EP-CPB or PEP implantation. Caution should be exercised when closing a large perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension.

A retrospective survey comparing suture techniques regarding the risk of permanent epicardial pacemaker implantation after ventricular septal defect closure

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the continuous and combined suturing techniques in regards to the needing epicardial pacing at the time of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (EP-CPB) and to evaluate permanent epicardial pacemaker (PEP) implantation in patients who had undergone surgical ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure. Methods: This single-centre retrospective survey includes 365 patients who had consecutively undergone VSD closure between January 2006 and October 2015. Results: The median age and weight of the patients were 15 months (range 27 days - 56.9 years) and 10 kg (range 3.5 - 100 kg), respectively. Continuous and combined suturing techniques were utilised in 302 (82.7%) and 63 (17.3%) patients, respectively. While 25 (6.8%) patients required EP-CPB, PEP was implanted in eight (2.2%) patients. Comparison of the continuous and combined suturing techniques regarding the need for EP-CPB (72% vs. 28%, P=0.231) and PEP implantation (87.5% vs. 12.5%, P=1.0) were not statistically significant. The rate of PEP implantation in patients with perimembraneous VSD without extension and perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension did not reveal significant difference between the suture techniques (P=1.0 and P=0.16, respectively). In both univariate and multivariate analyses, large VSD (P=0.001; OR 8.63; P=0.011) and perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension (P<0.001; OR 9.02; P=0.005) had a significant influence on PEP implantation. Conclusion: Both suturing techniques were comparable regarding the need for EP-CPB or PEP implantation. Caution should be exercised when closing a large perimembraneous VSD with inlet extension.