Initial experience with intracorporeal continuous ow LVAD in pediatric patients in Poland.

THE AIM: The aim of the study is to present the initial experience with continuous flow left ventricle assist device (CF-LVAD) in pediatric patients with BSA below 1.5 m2. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2016 and 2017, CF-LVAD (the Heartware System) have been implanted in three pediatric patients in the Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. The indications for initiating CF-LVAD were end-stage congestive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy in all children. RESULTS: Implanted patients have had BSA of 1.09, 1.42, 1.2 m2, and 37, 34, 34 kg of body weight and the age 12, 11, 12 years, respectively. The time of support was 550 days in two patients and 127 in another one, and is ongoing. The main complication has been driveline infection. CONCLUSION: The outcomes from our single-center experience using the HeartWare CF-LVAD have been excellent with a low incidence of complication and no necessity to reoperation in our patients. Children could be successfully and safely discharged home.

Outcome of Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

PURPOSE: The Norwood procedure, the first surgical step of staged palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), is also applied for other complex single ventricle lesions. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of the Norwood operation in a single center over 4 years and to identify clinical and anatomic risk factors for overall mortality. METHODS: A retrospective review of the pediatric cardiovascular surgery database was performed to identify infants with HLHS who underwent NP (Norwood procedure) at our institution between January 2007 and December 2011. Our study population consisted of 85 patients with HLHS. RESULTS: Early mortality (30 days postoperative period) between January 2007 and December 2011 for Norwood operation was 7 (8.2%) out of 85 patient, and overall mortality was 24 (28.2%). CONCLUSION: Our single-center experience shows that the Norwood operation can be performed for complex single ventricle lesions with similarly good early outcomes regardless of the underlying anatomy.