Post-operative arrhythmias in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and anatomic variants: incidence, type, and course.

BACKGROUND: Arrhythmias are common in the post-operative course of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. We sought to determine the types, incidence, risk factors, and impact of arrhythmias in patients with HLHS and anatomic variants. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of 120 consecutive patients with HLHS and anatomical variants, who had single-ventricle palliation at our institution from January, 2006 to December, 2016. RESULTS: A total of thirty-one patients (26%) had 37 episodes of arrhythmias over a median follow-up period of 3.5 years. Of the 37 episodes, 12 (32.4%) were ectopic atrial tachycardia, 9 (24.3%) were paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, 4 (10.8%) were junctional ectopic tachycardia, 5 (13.6%) were sinus node dysfunction, 3 (8.1%) were heart block, 2 (5.4%) were atrial flutter, and 2 (5.4%) were ventricular tachycardia. Twenty-four (65%) of the arrhythmias occurred at post-stage 1 surgery. Most (64.8%) of the arrhythmias were resolved. Arrhythmias that occurred at post-stage 1 surgery were more likely to resolve compared to post-stages 2 or 3 (p = 0.006). No anatomical, surgical, or clinical variables were associated with arrhythmia except for age (OR per unit decrease in age at stage 1 palliation: 1.12 (95% CI 1.003, 1.250); p = 0.0439). Arrhythmias were not associated with length of hospital stay or mortality. CONCLUSION: Arrhythmias are common in patients with HLHS and anatomic variants, with EAT and PSVT being the most common types. Arrhythmias were associated with younger age at surgery, but did not affect mortality or length of hospital stay.

Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease: Outcome After Catheter Ablation.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia to congenital heart disease (CHD) and the outcome of catheter ablation in this population have not been studied adequately. METHODS AND RESULTS: A multicenter retrospective study was performed on patients with CHD who had atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and were treated with catheter ablation. There were 109 patients (61 women), aged 22.1±13.4 years. The majority, 86 of 109 (79%), had CHD resulting in right heart pressure or volume overload. Patients were divided into 2 groups: group A (n=51) with complex CHD and group B (n=58) with simple CHD. There were no significant differences between groups in patients' growth parameters, use of 3-dimensional imaging, and type of ablation (radiofrequency versus cryoablation). Procedure times (251±117 versus 174±94 minutes; P=0.0006) and fluoroscopy times (median 20.8 versus 16.6 minutes; P=0.037) were longer in group A versus group B. There were significant differences between groups in the acute success of ablation (82% versus 97%; P=0.04), risk of atrioventricular block (14 versus 0%; P=0.004), and need for chronic pacing (10% versus 0%; P=0.008). There was no permanent atrioventricular block in patients who underwent cryoablation. After 3.2±2.7 years of follow-up, long-term success was 86% in group A and 100% in group B (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia can complicate the course of patients with CHD. This study demonstrates that the outcome of catheter ablation is favorable in patients with simple CHD. Patients with complex CHD have increased risk of procedural failure and atrioventricular block.

Vocal cord paralysis and Dysphagia after aortic arch reconstruction and Norwood procedure.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of vocal cord (VC) paralysis and dysphagia after aortic arch reconstruction, including the Norwood procedure. SETTING: Tertiary children's hospital. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. METHODS: Database/chart review of neonates requiring Norwood or arch surgery between January 2005 and December 2012. Demographics, postoperative VC function, dysphagia, need for gastrostomy tube and/or tracheotomy, and long-term follow-up were reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one consecutive subjects (96 Norwood, 55 aortic arch) were reviewed. Median age at repair was 9 days (interquartile range [IQR], 7-13) for Norwood and 24 days (IQR, 12-49) for arch reconstruction (P < .001). Documentation of VC motion abnormality was found in 60 of 104 (57.6%) subjects and unavailable in 47 (16 without documentation and 31 who died prior to extubation). There were no significant differences in proportions of documented VC motion (P = .337), dysphagia (P = .987), and VC paralysis (P = .706) between the arch and Norwood groups. Dysphagia was found in 73.5% of Norwood and 69.2% of arch subjects who had documented VC paralysis. Even without unilateral VC paralysis (UVCP), dysphagia was present (56% Norwood, 61% arch). Overall, 120 of 151 (79.5%) required feeding evaluation and a modified feeding regimen. Gastrostomy was required in 31% of Norwood and 23.6% of arch reconstruction overall. To date, mortality in this series is 55 of 151 (36.4%) patients. Of those with VC paralysis, only 23 (22%) had any otolaryngology follow-up after discharge from surgery. More than 75% with VC paralysis with follow-up after hospital discharge had persistent VC paralysis 11.5 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: There is high incidence of UVCP and dysphagia after Norwood and arch reconstruction. Dysphagia was highly prevalent in both groups even without UVCP. Preoperative discussion on vocal cord function and dysphagia should be considered.

Pulmonary arterioplasty with decellularized allogeneic patches.

BACKGROUND: Decellularized allogeneic nonvalved pulmonary artery patches for arterioplasty are a relatively new option compared with cryopreserved allogeneic, crosslinked xenogeneic bioprosthetic or synthetic materials. This study examines the midterm experience with a new decellularized allogeneic patch for congenital cardiac reconstructions. METHODS: For this prospective postmarket approval, nonrandomized, inclusive observational study, we collected data on a consecutive cohort of 108 patients with cardiovascular reconstructions using 120 decellularized allogeneic pulmonary artery patches (MatrACELL; LifeNet Health, Inc, Virginia Beach, VA) between September 2009 and December 2012. One hundred of the patches were used for pulmonary arterioplasties. Two patients were lost early to follow-up and excluded from subsequent survival and durability analyses. Data included demographics, surgical outcomes, subsequent reoperations, and catheter reinterventions. These variables were also collected for an immediately preceding retrospective consecutive cohort of 100 patients with 101 pulmonary arterioplasty patches who received classical cryopreserved pulmonary artery allografts (n=59 patches and patients) or synthetic materials (n=41 patients with 42 patches) for pulmonary arterioplasties between 2006 and 2009. RESULTS: In 106 patients with 118 decellularized patches, there were no device-related serious adverse events, no device failures, and no evidence of calcifications on chest roentgenograms. In contrast, the prior comparative pulmonary arterioplasty cohort of 100 patients experienced an overall 14.0% patch failure rate requiring device-related reoperations (p<0.0001) at mean duration of 194±104 days (range, 25 to 477 days). CONCLUSIONS: The intermediate-term data obtained in this study suggest favorable performance by decellularized pulmonary artery patches, with no material failures or reoperations provoked by device failure.