Reprint of: How He Did It - The James S. Tweddell Approach to Single Ventricle Palliation in Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

This article will detail Dr. James Tweddell's operative technique and considerations for 26 all three stages of SVP in patients with HLHS. This will include the Norwood Procedure with 27 Right-Ventricle-to-Pulmonary-Artery Conduit (Sano Modification), Bidirectional Glenn 28 (Superior Cavopulmonary Connection), and Extracardiac, Fenestrated Fontan Completion (Total 29 Cavopulmonary Connection). These techniques are the culmination of over 20 years of experience 30 and represent the final techniques he employed at both Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and 31 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Contemporary Trends in Cardiac Surgical Care for Trisomy 13 and 18 Patients Admitted to Hospitals in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To assess rates of cardiac surgery and the clinical and demographic features that influence surgical vs nonsurgical treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD) in patients with trisomy 13 (T13) and trisomy 18 (T18) in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was performed using the Pediatric Health Information System. All hospital admissions of children (<18 years of age) with T13 and T18 in the United States were identified from 2003 through 2022. International Classifications of Disease (ICD) codes were used to identify presence of CHD, extracardiac comorbidities/malformations, and performance of cardiac surgery. RESULTS: Seven thousand one hundred thirteen patients were identified. CHD was present in 62% (1625/2610) of patients with T13 and 73% (3288/4503) of patients with T18. The most common CHD morphologies were isolated atrial/ventricular septal defects (T13 40%, T18 42%) and aortic hypoplasia/coarctation (T13 21%, T18 23%). Single-ventricle morphologies comprised 6% (100/1625) of the T13 and 5% (167/3288) of the T18 CHD cohorts. Surgery was performed in 12% of patients with T13 plus CHD and 17% of patients with T18 plus CHD. For all cardiac diagnoses, <50% of patients received surgery. Nonsurgical patients were more likely to be born prematurely (P < .05 for T13 and T18). The number of extracardiac comorbidities was similar between surgical/nonsurgical patients with T13 (median 2 vs 2, P = .215) and greater in surgical vs nonsurgical patients with T18 (median 3 vs 2, P < .001). Hospital mortality was <10% for both surgical cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with T13 or T18 and CHD receive surgical palliation, but at a low prevalence (≤17%) nationally. Given operative mortality <10%, opportunity exists perhaps for quality improvement in the performance of cardiac surgery for these vulnerable patient populations.

Modifiable risk factor reduction for pediatric ventricular assist devices and the influence of persistent modifiable risk factors at transplant.

OBJECTIVES: Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are associated with a mortality benefit in children. Database-driven analyses have associated VADs with reduction of modifiable risk factors (MRFs), but validation with institutional data is required. The authors studied MRF reduction on VAD and the influence of persistent MRFs on survival after heart transplant. METHODS: All patients at the authors' institution requiring a VAD at transplant (2011-2022) were retrospectively identified. MRFs included renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), hepatic dysfunction (total bilirubin ≥1.2 mg/dL), total parenteral nutrition dependence, sedatives, paralytics, inotropes, and mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were identified. At time of VAD implantation, 18 patients had ≥3 MRFs, 21 had 1 to 2 MRFs, and 0 had 0 MRFs. At time of transplant, 6 patients had ≥3 MRFs, 17 had 1 to 2 MRFs, and 16 had 0 MRFs. Hospital mortality occurred in 50% (3 out of 6) patients with ≥3 MRFs at transplant vs 0% of patients with 1 to 2 and 0 MRFs (P = .01 for ≥3 vs 1-2 and 0 MRFs). MRFs independently associated with hospital mortality included paralytics (1.76 [range, 1.32-2.30]), ventilator (1.59 [range, 1.28-1.97]), total parenteral nutrition dependence (1.49 [range, 1.07-2.07]), and renal dysfunction (1.31 [range, 1.02-1.67]). Two late mortalities occurred (3.6 and 5.7 y), both in patients with 1 to 2 MRFs at transplant. Overall posttransplant survival was significantly worse for ≥3 versus 0 MRFs (P = .006) but comparable between other cohorts (P > .1). CONCLUSIONS: VADs are associated with MRF reduction in children, yet those with persistent MRFs at transplant experience a high burden of mortality. Transplanting VAD patients with ≥3 MRFs may not be prudent. Time should be given on VAD support to achieve aggressive pre-transplant optimization of MRFs.

Balloon atrial septostomy versus left atrial cannulation for left heart decompression in children with dilated cardiomyopathy and myocarditis on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: An ELSO registry analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In children with myocarditis or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for cardiogenic shock, it is often necessary to decompress the left heart to minimize distension and promote myocardial recovery. We compare outcomes in those who underwent balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) versus direct left atrial (LA) drainage for left heart decompression in this population. METHODS: Retrospective study of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) multicenter registry of patients ≤ 18 years with myocarditis or DCM on ECMO who underwent LA decompression. Descriptive and univariate statistics assessed association of patient factors with decompression type. Multivariable logistic regression sought independent associations with outcomes. RESULTS: 369 pediatric ECMO runs were identified. 52% myocarditis, 48% DCM, overall survival 74%. 65% underwent BAS and 35% LA drainage. Patient demographics including age, weight, gender, race/ethnicity, diagnosis, pre-ECMO pH, mean airway pressure, and arrest status were similar. 89% in the BAS group were peripherally cannulated onto ECMO, versus 3% in the LA drainage group (p < .001). On multivariable analysis, LA drainage (OR 3.96; 95% CI, 1.47-10.711; p = .007), renal complication (OR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.41-4.01; p = .001), cardiac complication (OR 3.14; 95% CI, 1.70-5.82; p < .001), and non-white race/ethnicity (OR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.04-2.94; p = .035) were associated with greater odds of mortality. There was a trend toward more episodes of pulmonary hemorrhage in BAS (n = 17) versus LA drainage group (n = 3), p = .08. Comparing only those with central cannulation, LA drainage group was more likely to be discontinued from ECMO due to recovery (72%) versus the BAS group (48%), p = .032. CONCLUSIONS: In children with myocarditis or DCM, there was a three times greater likelihood for mortality with LA drainage versus BAS for LA decompression. When adjusted for central cannulation groups only, there was better recovery in the LA drainage group and no difference in mortality. Further prospective evaluation is warranted.

Hand-Constructed CorMatrix Tubular Valve Used for Tricuspid Valve Replacement in Neonate With Congenital Tricuspid Dysplasia: Five-Year Follow-Up.

Tricuspid valve (TV) dysplasia is a rare congenital defect that, in severe cases, can cause heart failure necessitating surgical correction. TV replacement options are limited in neonates since few commercial valves are available and the rates of failure and postoperative mortality are high. The authors report a neonate with TV dysplasia who underwent replacement with a hand-constructed tube valve using small intestinal submucosal extracellular matrix, which functioned well for >5 years.

Center volume effect on acute cellular rejection and outcomes in pediatric lung transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Acute cellular rejection (ACR) is common after lung transplant (LTx). We sought to determine if transplant center volume affected ACR-related outcomes in children after LTx. METHODS: The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Registry was queried for patients <18-years-of-age who underwent LTx 1987-2020. Cohorts were children who survived the first-year post transplant and were treated for ACR within that first year (ACR group) and those not treated for ACR (non-ACR). LTx center volume was defined as: high volume center (HVC) (>5LTxs/year), medium volume center (MVC) (>1≤5 LTxs/year), and low volume center (LVC) (≤1LTxs/year). RESULTS: 1320 patients were enrolled into the study; 269 (20.4%) did not experience ACR. The ACR cohort was older (median 14 [11-16] vs 13 [7-16] years, p < 0.001), female (65.3% vs 57.3%, p = 0.016), had cystic fibrosis (62.3% vs 45.5%, p < 0.001), and had a higher lung allocation score (37.3 [34.6-47.8] vs 35.8 [33-42.6], p = 0.029). The ACR cohort trended (p = 0.06) towards lower survival at 5-year (37% vs 47%) and 10-year (25% vs 34%) post-LTx. Among children at HVCs, ACR occurred in 17% of recipients (n = 98/574), compared to 18.5% (n = 73/395) at MVCs and 27% (n = 100/369) at LVCs. Children treated for ACR at HVCs had higher survival than LVCs at 5-years (52% vs 29%) and 10-years (36% vs 15%) (p < 0.001) but similar survival to MVCs at 5-years (52% vs 43%) and 10-years (36% vs 24%) (p = 0.081). No survival differences were detected in MVCs vs LVCs (p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: ACR treated within the first post-LTx year influence survival of children. ACR incidence was lowest at higher volume centers whereas post-ACR treatment survival outcomes were also superior.

Defining Expectations for Infants With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Who Survive Initial Surgical Palliation.

BACKGROUND: Overall one-year non-mortality outcomes for surgically palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) patients remain understudied. Using the metric Days Alive and Outside of Hospital (DAOH), the present study sought to characterize expectations for surgically palliated patients' first year of life. METHODS: The Pediatric Health Information System database was used to identify by ICD-10 code all HLHS patients who underwent surgical palliation (Norwood/hybrid and/or heart transplantation [HTx]) during their index neonatal admission and were successfully discharged alive (n = 2227) and for whom one-year DAOH could be calculated. DAOH quartiles were used to group patients for analysis. RESULTS: Median one-year DAOH was 304 (interquartile range [IQR] 250-327), including a median index admission length of stay of 43 days (IQR 28-77). Patients required a median 2 (IQR 1-3) readmissions, each spanning 9 days (IQR 4-20). One-year readmission mortality or hospice discharge occurred in 6% of patients. Patients with lower-quartile DAOH had a median DAOH of 187 (IQR 124-226), whereas upper-quartile DAOH patients had a median DAOH of 335 (IQR 331-340) (P < .001). Readmission mortality/hospice-discharge rates were 14% and 1%, respectively (P < .01). On multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with lower-quartile DAOH included interstage hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] 44.78 [95% confidence interval [CI] 25.1-80.2]), index-admission HTx (8.73 [4.66-16.3]), preterm birth (1.97 [1.34-2.90]), chromosomal abnormality (1.85 [1.26-2.73]), age >7 days at surgery (1.50 [1.14-1.99]), and non-white race/ethnicity (1.33 [1.01-1.75]). CONCLUSIONS: In the current era, surgically palliated HLHS infants spend approximately 10 months alive and outside of the hospital, although outcomes are highly variable. Knowledge of the factors associated with lower DAOH can inform expectations and guide management decisions.

Contemporary Outcomes of Heart Transplantation in Children with Heterotaxy Syndrome: Sub-Optimal Pre-Transplant Optimization Translates into Early Post-Transplant Mortality.

Patients with heterotaxy syndrome and congenital heart disease (CHD) experience inferior cardiac surgical outcomes. Heart transplantation outcomes are understudied, however, particularly compared to non-CHD patients. Data from UNOS and PHIS were used to identify 4803 children (< 18 years) undergoing first-time heart transplant between 2003 and 2022 with diagnoses of heterotaxy (n = 278), other-CHD (n = 2236), and non-CHD cardiomyopathy (n = 2289). Heterotaxy patients were older (median 5 yr) and heavier (median 17 kg) at transplant than other-CHD (median 2 yr and 12 kg), and younger and lighter than cardiomyopathy (median 7 yr and 24 kg) (all p < 0.001). UNOS status 1A/1 at listing was not different between groups (65-67%; p = 0.683). At transplant, heterotaxy and other-CHD patients had similar rates of renal dysfunction (12 and 17%), inotropes (10% and 11%), and ventilator-dependence (19 and 18%). Compared to cardiomyopathy, heterotaxy patients had comparable renal dysfunction (9%, p = 0.058) and inotropes (46%, p = 0.097) but more hepatic dysfunction (17%, p < 0.001) and ventilator-dependence (12%, p = 0.003). Rates of ventricular assist device (VAD) were: heterotaxy-10%, other-CHD-11% (p = 0.839 vs. heterotaxy), cardiomyopathy-37% (p < 0.001 vs. heterotaxy). The 1-year incidence of acute rejection post-transplant was comparable between heterotaxy and others (p > 0.05). While overall post-transplant survival was significantly worse for heterotaxy than others (p < 0.05 vs. both), conditional 1-year survival was comparable (p > 0.3 vs. both). Children with heterotaxy syndrome experience inferior post-heart transplant survival, although early mortality appears to influence this trend, with 1-year survivors having equivalent outcomes. Given similar pre-transplant clinical status to others, heterotaxy patients are potentially under risk-stratified. Increased VAD utilization and pre-transplant end-organ function optimization may portend improved outcomes.

Reintervention and mortality risk after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair.

BACKGROUND: Management of total anomalous pulmonary venous connections has been extensively studied to further improve outcomes. Our institution previously reported factors associated with mortality, recurrent obstruction, and reintervention. The study purpose was to revisit the cohort of patients and evaluate factors associated with reintervention, and mortality in early and late follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective review at our institution identified 81 patients undergoing total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair from January 2002 to January 2018. Demographic and operative variables were evaluated. Anastomotic reintervention (interventional or surgical) and/or mortality were primary endpoints. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients met the study criteria. Follow-up ranged from 0 to 6,291 days (17.2 years), a mean of 1263 days (3.5 years). Surgical mortality was 16.1% and reintervention rates were 19.8%. In re-interventions performed, 80% occurred within 1.2 years, while 94% of mortalities were within 4.1 months. Increasing cardiopulmonary bypass times (p = 0.0001) and the presence of obstruction at the time of surgery (p = 0.025) were predictors of mortality, while intracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection type (p = 0.033) was protective. Risk of reintervention was higher with increasing cardiopulmonary bypass times (p = 0.015), single ventricle anatomy (p = 0.02), and a post-repair gradient >2 mmHg on transesophageal echocardiogram (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of a larger cohort with longer follow-up demonstrated the relationship of anatomic complexity and symptoms at presentation to increased mortality risk after total anomalous pulmonary venous connection repair. The presence of a single ventricle or a post-operative confluence gradient >2 mmHg were risk factors for reintervention. These findings support those found in our initial study.

Heart transplant offers are less likely to be accepted on weekends, holidays, and conferences.

BACKGROUND: The existence of a "weekend effect" in heart transplantation (HTx) is understudied. The present study sought to determine whether the odds of (HTx) offer acceptance differed for adult and pediatric candidates depending upon the day on which the offer occurred. METHODS: United Network for Organ Sharing data were used to identify all HTx offers to adult (listing age ≥18) and pediatric candidates from 2000-2019. Odds of offer acceptance were studied, comparing weekends, holidays, and conferences (Society of Thoracic Surgeons [STS], American Association for Thoracic Surgery [AATS], International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation [ISHLT]) to "baseline" (all other days). Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of offer nonacceptance, controlling for the impacts of program transplant volume, region, and candidate characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 323,953 offers occurred - 298,405 to adults and 25,548 to pediatric candidates. Clinically significant differences did not exist in donor or candidate characteristics between baseline or other events. The number of offers per day was stable throughout the year for both adults (p = 0.191) and pediatrics (p = 0.976). In adults, independently lower odds of acceptance existed on weekends (OR 0.88 [95% CI 0.84-0.92]), conferences in aggregate (0.86 [0.77-0.95]), and holidays in aggregate (0.81 [0.72-0.91]). In children, independently lower odds of acceptance were seen on weekends (0.88 [0.79-0.98]), during STS (0.46 [0.25-0.83], and during Christmas (0.32 [0.14-0.76]). CONCLUSIONS: The day on which a HTx offer occurs significantly impacts its likelihood of acceptance. Further work can determine the impacts of human behavior or resource distribution, but knowledge of this phenomenon can inform efforts to ensure ideal organ allocation throughout the year.

Not all durations of preheart transplant mechanical ventilation portend inferior post-transplant survival in children.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation prior to pediatric heart transplantation predicts inferior post-transplant survival, but the impact of ventilation duration on survival is unclear. METHODS: Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing and Pediatric Health Information System were used to identify pediatric (<18 years) heart transplant recipients from 2003 to 2020. Patients ventilated pretransplant were first compared to no ventilation, then ventilation durations were compared across quartiles of ventilation (≤1 week, 8 days-5 weeks, >5 weeks). RESULTS: At transplant, 11% (511/4506) of patients required ventilation. Ventilated patients were younger, had more congenital heart disease, more urgent listing-status, and greater rates of nephropathy, TPN-dependence, and inotrope and ECMO requirements (p < .001 for all). Post-transplant, previously ventilated patients experienced longer ventilation durations, ICU and hospital stays, and inferior survival (all p < .001). Hospital outcomes and survival worsened with longer pretransplant ventilation. One-year and overall survival were similar between the no-ventilation and ≤1 week groups (p = .703 & p = .433, respectively) but were significantly worse for ventilation durations >1 week (p < .001). On multivariable analysis, ventilation ≤1 week did not predict mortality (HR 0.98 [95% CI 0.85-1.43]), whereas ventilation >1 week did (HR: 1.18 [1.01-1.39]). CONCLUSIONS: Longer pretransplant ventilation portends worse outcomes, although only ventilation >1 week predicts mortality. These findings can inform pretransplant prognostication.

Palliated Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Patients Experience Superior Waitlist and Comparable Post-Heart Transplant Survival to Non-Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Disease Patients.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a well-established risk factor for inferior waitlist and post-heart transplant survival in children. Differences in outcomes between CHD subgroups are understudied. The present study compared outcomes for palliated hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) patients to other non-single ventricle CHD (non-SVCHD) and non-CHD patients. United Network for Organ Sharing was used to identify children (age < 18) listed for heart transplant in the United States between 2016 and 2021. CHD sub-diagnoses were only available for United Network for Organ Sharing status 1a after 2015, thereby defining the cohort. Waitlist outcomes were studied using competing-risk time-to-event analysis for transplantation, mortality/decompensation, and alive-on-waitlist. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with inferior post-transplant survival. Patients included: palliated-HLHS (n = 477), non-SVCHD (n = 686), and non-CHD (n = 1261). At listing, Palliated-HLHS patients were older than non-SVCHD (median 2-year [IQR 0-8] vs median 0-year [0-3], respectively) and younger than non-CHD (median 7-year [0-14]) (P < 0.001 vs both), and were more likely to be white (P < 0.01 vs both). Upon time-to-event analysis, rates of waitlist mortality/decompensation rates were greater among non-SVCHD than palliated-HLHS. Post-transplant survival was comparable between palliated-HLHS and non-SVCHD (P = 0.920) but worse compared to non-CHD (P < 0.001). Both palliated-HLHS (HR 2.40 [95% CI 1.68-3.42]) and non-SVSCHD (2.04 [1.39-2.99]) were independently associated with post-transplant mortality. Palliated-HLHS patients with heart failure experience significantly worse post-transplant outcomes than non-CHD but, compared to other CHD patients, experience superior waitlist and comparable post-transplant survival. While a high-risk cohort, HLHS patients can achieve gratifying waitlist and post-transplant survival.

Overly Selective Offer Acceptance is Associated With High Waitlist Mortality for the Most Ill Lung Transplant Candidates.

The demand for organs for lung transplantation (LTx) continues to outweigh supply. However, nearly 75% of donor lungs are never transplanted. LTx offer acceptance practices and the effects on waitlist/post-transplant outcomes by candidate clinical acuity are understudied. UNOS was used to identify all LTx candidates, donors, and offers from 2005 to 2019. Candidates were grouped by Lung Allocation Score (LAS; applicable post-2005, ages ≥12 years): LAS<40, 40-60, 61-80, and >80. Offer acceptance patterns, waitlist death/decompensation, and post-transplant survival (PTS) were compared. "Acceptable organ offers" were those from donors whose organs were accepted for transplantation. Approximately 3 million offers to 34,531 candidates were reviewed. Median waitlist durations were: 9 days-(LAS>80), 17 days-(LAS 61-80), 42 days-(LAS 40-60), 125 days-(LAS<40) (P < 0.001 between all). Per waitlist-day, offer rates were: total offers - 0.8/day-(LAS>80), 0.7/day-(LAS 61-80), 0.6/day-(LAS 40-60), 0.4/day-(LAS<40); acceptable offers - 0.34/day-(LAS>80), 0.32/day-(LAS 61-80), 0.24/day-(LAS 40-60), 0.15/day-(LAS<40) (both P < 0.001 between all LAS). Among patients who experienced waitlist mortality/decompensation, ≥1 acceptable offer was declined in 92% (3939/4270) of patients - 78% for LAS >80, 88% for LAS 61-80, 93% for LAS 40-60, and 96% for LAS <40. Thirty-day waitlist mortality/decompensation rates were: 46%-(LAS>80), 24%-(LAS 61-80), 5%-(LAS 40-60), <1%-(LAS<40) (P < 0.001 between all). PTS was equivalent between patients for whom the first/second offer vs later offers were accepted (all LAS P > 0.4). The first offers that LTx candidates receive (including acceptable organs) are declined for nearly all candidates. Healthier candidates can afford offer selectivity but more ill patients (LAS>60) cannot, experiencing exceedingly high 30-day waitlist mortality.

Infants Who Require Total Parenteral Nutrition and Paralytics at Time of Heart Transplant Experience Inferior Post-Transplant Mortality.

Background: Infants experience the worst one-year post-heart transplant (HTx) survival of any other pediatric group. Although mechanical ventilatory (MV) requirement at the time of transplant is an established predictor of post-transplant mortality, the impacts of commonly co-utilized support modalities such as total parenteral nutrition (TPN)-dependence and paralytics are understudied. Methods: All infant HTx recipients from 2003 to 2020 in both the United Network for Organ Sharing and Pediatric Health Information System databases were identified (n = 1344) and categorized depending upon support requirement at the time of transplant-none (59%), MV-only (10%), MV + Paralytics (2%), TPN-dependence-only (15%), MV + TPN (10%), and MV + Paralytics + TPN (4%). The primary study aim was to characterize the impact of TPN-dependence and paralytics on one-year post-transplant survival (PTS). Results: Compared to no-support, supported infants were generally at higher risk and more ill at transplant, with greater rates of congenital heart disease, renal and hepatic dysfunctions, and inotrope requirements. Post-transplant hospital outcomes were inferior among supported patients; all support groups experienced longer post-transplant MV, intensive care unit, and hospital lengths of stay (all P < .05 vs no-support). Upon multivariable analysis, each support modality independently predicted 1-year mortality (MV vs no-MV: 1.54 [1.10-2.14]; MV + Paralytics vs neither: 2.02 [1.25-3.27]; TPN vs no-TPN: 1.53 [1.10-2.13]; P < .01 for all), whereas no-support was protective (HR 0.66 [95% CI 0.48-0.91]). Conclusions: Infants who require paralytics and/or who are TPN-dependent at the time of HTx experience worse one-year PTS. Such knowledge can assist in risk-stratification, and the identification of patients who would benefit from pretransplant optimization.

Endocarditis in Bovine Vein Grafts in the Pulmonary Position Placed Surgically & Percutaneously.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is one of the major complications following pulmonary valve replacement (PVR). This analysis hopes to evaluate the incidence, outcomes and possible risk factors of IE associated with trans-catheter and surgical placement of a bovine jugular vein (BJV) graft in the pulmonary position. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, all records of trans-catheter and surgical PVR from 3/2010 to 12/2019 were reviewed. IE was defined as positive blood cultures, with vegetations seen on echocardiography or sudden increase in peak gradient across the valve or vegetations confirmed at time of valve replacement. Poor dental hygiene:1.dental procedures without S.B.E prophylaxis AND/OR 2.one or more dental cavities, caries, dental abscess. Results: 165 patients had PVR with BJV:107 trans-catheter and 63 surgical. 7%(12/170) of PVRs developed IE(catheter:n = 10, surgery:n = 2) at a median time from valve placement of 38 months. The incidence of IE in the catheter group:3-per-100patient-years and in surgical group:1-per-100patient-years. Multivariate cox regression showed that poor dental hygiene was significantly associated with IE [HR(95% CI):16.9(4.35-66.2)](p value <.001). Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significant difference in freedom from IE between patients with poor and appropriate dental hygiene (p value<.001). Conclusions: There is a 7% incidence of IE with the use of BJV grafts in the pulmonary position at mid-term follow-up. Though the rate in catheter placed BJV seems 3x higher than surgically placed ones, their cohorts are quite different making this comparison flawed. Poor dental hygiene is a strong predictor for post-operative IE and offers a significant opportunity for lowering the rate of infective endocarditis.

Heart-kidney listing is better than isolated heart listing for pediatric heart transplant candidates with significant renal insufficiency.

OBJECTIVES: Significant renal insufficiency is identified as a risk factor for post-transplantation mortality in pediatric heart transplant recipients. This study evaluates simultaneous heart-kidney transplantation listing outcomes compared with heart transplant for pediatric candidates with significant renal insufficiency. METHODS: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was searched for patients (January 1987 to March 2020) who were simultaneously listed for a heart-kidney transplantation or for heart transplant with significant renal insufficiency at the time of listing. Significant renal insufficiency was defined as needing dialysis or having a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (<40 mL/min). Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: A total of 427 cases were identified; 109 were listed for heart-kidney transplantation, and 318 were listed for heart transplant alone. Median time on the waitlist was 101 days (interquartile range, 28-238) for heart-kidney transplantation listings compared with 39 days (14-86) and 23.5 days (6-51) for heart transplant recipients with a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = .002) or on dialysis (P < .001), respectively. Of all heart-kidney transplantation listings, 66% (n = 71) received a transplant compared with 54% (n = 173) of heart transplantation with significant renal insufficiency (P = .005) with a mean survival of 14.6 years (12.7-16.4 years) for heart transplant without significant renal insufficiency at transplantation and 7.6 years (5.4-9.9 years) for heart transplant with significant renal insufficiency at transplantation. At 1 year after listing, 69% of heart-kidney transplantation listed recipients were alive, compared with 51% of heart transplant listed recipients (P = .029). Heart-kidney transplantation recipients had better 1-year post-transplantation survival (86%) than heart transplantation with significant renal insufficiency at transplant (66%) (P = .001). There was no significant difference in the 1- and 5-year survivals of those undergoing heart transplantation listed with significant renal insufficiency but no significant renal insufficiency at the time of transplant (89% and 78%) and heart-kidney transplantation recipients (86% and 81%; P = .436). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric candidates with significant renal insufficiency listed for heart-kidney transplantation have superior waitlist and post-transplantation outcomes compared with those listed for heart transplant alone. Patients with significant renal insufficiency should be listed for heart-kidney transplantation, however; if their renal function improves significantly, heart transplant alone appears judicious.