Aortic Arch Obstruction After the Norwood Procedure for Hypoplastic Left-Heart Syndrome

AbstractIntroduction:Infants undergoing stage 1 palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome may have post-operative feeding difficulties. Although the cause of feeding difficulties in these patients is multi-factorial, residual arch obstruction may affect gut perfusion, contributing to feeding intolerance. We hypothesised that undergoing arch reintervention following stage 1 palliation would be associated with post-operative feeding difficulties.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. We analysed data from the National Pediatric Cardiology Quality Improvement Collaborative, which maintains a multicentre registry for infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome discharged home following stage 1 palliation. Patients who underwent arch reintervention (percutaneous or surgical) prior to discharge following stage 1 palliation were compared with those who underwent non-aortic arch interventions after stage 1 palliation and those who underwent no intervention. Median post-operative days to full enteral feeds and weight for age z-scores were compared. Predictors of post-operative days to full feeds were identified.Results:Among patients who underwent arch reintervention, post-operative days to full enteral feeds were greater than for those who underwent non-aortic arch interventions (25 versus 16, p = 0.003) or no intervention (median days 25 versus 12, p < 0.001). Arch intervention, multiple interventions, gestational age, and the presence of a gastrointestinal anomaly were predictors of days to full feeds.Conclusions:Repeat arch intervention is associated with a longer time to achieve full enteral feeding in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after stage 1 palliation. Further investigation of this association is needed to understand the role of arch obstruction in feeding problems in these patients.

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Early outcomes and computational fluid dynamic analyses of chimney reconstruction in the Norwood procedure

Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery ◽

10.1093/icvts/ivz040 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 252-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Satoshi Asada ◽

Masaaki Yamagishi ◽

Keiichi Itatani ◽

Yoshinobu Maeda ◽

Satoshi Taniguchi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aortic Arch ◽

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome ◽

Fluid Dynamic ◽

Norwood Procedure ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Shear Stresses ◽

Left Heart ◽

Hypoplastic Left Heart ◽

Flow Profiles ◽

Left Heart Syndrome

Abstract OBJECTIVES The ideal configuration of a reconstructed aortic arch in the Norwood procedure for hypoplastic left heart syndrome is still a matter of debate. Chimney reconstruction was developed to avoid postoperative complications and turbulent flow in the aortic arch. This study sought to clarify early outcomes of the procedure and verify its haemodynamic advantages using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). METHODS Fourteen consecutive patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or a variant who underwent chimney reconstruction in the Norwood procedure between January 2013 and March 2018 were enrolled. Median age and body weight at the time of operation were 2.5 months and 4.1 kg, respectively. Thirteen patients (93.9%) had been palliated with previous bilateral pulmonary artery (PA) banding. In addition, patient-specific CFD models of neoarches based on postoperative computed tomograms from 6 patients were created and the flow profiles analysed. RESULTS Survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 76.6%, 67.3% and 67.3%, respectively. No patient developed left PA compression by neoaorta, neoaortic dilation or neoaortic insufficiency. Only 2 patients (14.3%) required surgical intervention for recoarctation. Fontan completion was performed on 5 patients. On CFD analysis, all reconstructed aortic arches showed low energy loss (9.16–14.4 mW/m2) and low wall shear stresses. CONCLUSIONS Chimney reconstruction was a feasible technique when homografts were not readily available. CFD analyses underscored the fact that this technique produced excellent flow profiles. Larger studies should be conducted to clarify long-term outcomes.

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