A successful patch angioplasty with auto-pulmonary wall for congenital coronary left main trunk occlusion in a young child.

Congenital occlusion of the left main coronary trunk is a life-threatening abnormality, and its optimal management remains controversial. This report describes a case of successful patch angioplasty with auto-pulmonary artery for a 12-year-old boy with congenital left main trunk occlusion. We divided the main pulmonary artery, harvested a pulmonary artery wall strip, and performed patch angioplasty of the occluded left main trunk ostium. We were able to clearly expose the left main trunk behind the pulmonary artery because the obstruction was divided for the patch material. The postoperative course was uneventful, and coronary angiography at 4 months after surgery showed excellent patency of the left main trunk. The auto-pulmonary arterial wall was easy to handle during angioplasty, and its favorable durability has been established both in the Ross procedures and in an arterial switch procedure. Therefore, we conclude that patch angioplasty using a piece of the pulmonary arterial wall represents a good alternative to conventional coronary artery bypass grafting.

Surgical outcome of Fontan conversion and arrhythmia surgery: Need a pacemaker?

BACKGROUND: Atrial tachyarrhythmias are frequent complications in the late period after the Fontan procedure, and important risk factors for a poor prognosis. The impact of Fontan conversion and arrhythmia surgery in failed Fontan patients has been described in many reports. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated our experience with Fontan conversion procedures, concomitant arrhythmia surgery, and pacemaker implantation. METHODS: We reviewed the hospital records of 25 consecutive patients who underwent a Fontan conversion procedure from January 2004 to March 2012. Twenty-four patients had arrhythmia surgery using cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation at the time of conversion. A bilateral atrial maze procedure was performed in 6 patients, right-side maze in 15, and isthmus block in 3. Three patients with a diagnosis of corrected transposition of the great arteries underwent simultaneous pacemaker implantation electively. RESULTS: There was no early death and one late death during a mean follow-up period of 21.2 months. Three tachyarrhythmia recurrences developed, and there were 4 occurrences of sinus bradycardia. Five of these patients required postoperative pacemaker implantation. CONCLUSION: The mid-term results of Fontan conversion and arrhythmia surgery in our institute were satisfactory. The occurrence of unexpected postoperative pacemaker requirement was high in the patients who underwent a right atrial or bilateral atrial maze procedure. Pacemaker or lead implantation is recommended for patients planned to undergo a right-side or full maze procedure.