Efficacy of bubble contrast echocardiography in detecting pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in children with univentricular heart after total cavopulmonary connection

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
Dai Asada ◽  
Yuma Morishita ◽  
Yoko Kawai ◽  
Yo Kajiyama ◽  
Kazuyuki Ikeda

AbstractBackground:Development of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in patients with cavopulmonary anastomosis may result in a significant morbidity. Although the use of bubble contrast echocardiography with selective injection into both the branch pulmonary arteries in identifying pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas has been increasing, the actual efficacy of this diagnostic modality has not been properly evaluated. Thus, this study aimed to assess the efficacy of bubble contrast echocardiography in detecting pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in children with total cavopulmonary connection.Methods:A total of 140 patients were included. All patients underwent cardiac catheterisation. Bubble contrast echocardiographic studies were performed by injecting agitated saline solution into the branch pulmonary arteries. Transthoracic echocardiograms that use an apical view were conducted to assess the appearance of bubble contrast in the systemic ventricles. Then, the contrast echocardiogram results and other cardiac parameters were compared.Results:No correlation was found between contrast echocardiogram grade and other cardiac parameters, such as pulmonary capillary wedge saturation and pulmonary artery resistance. Moreover, only 13 patients had negative results on both the right and left contrast echocardiograms, and 127 of the 140 patients had positive results on contrast echocardiograms even though they had normal pulmonary capillary wedge saturation. Results showed that bubble contrast echocardiography was a highly sensitive method and was likely to obtain false-positive results.Conclusions:Bubble contrast echocardiography might be highly false positive in detecting pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in patients with cavopulmonary anastomosis. We have to consider how we make use of this method. Further standardisation of techniques is required.

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 358-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gernot Buheitel ◽  
Michael Hofbeck ◽  
Ursula Tenbrink ◽  
Georg Leipold ◽  
Jürgen v.d. Emde ◽  
...  

AbstractDespite a good haemodynamic result, many children have amildly decreased arterial oxygen saturation following a total cavopulmonary connection. Our study was performed to determine possible mechanisms of right-to-left shunting in these patients. We performed elective cardiac catheterization in 19 children at a mean interval of 3.6 years following a total cavopulmonary connection. The intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt, the intracardiac right-to-left shunt and the total right-to-left shunt were calculated under mechanical ventilation with 100% oxygen. The intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt was 10.8±3.5% of the pulmonary blood flow, and the total right-to left shunt accounted for 18.9±5.2% of the systemic blood flow. The intracardiac right-to-left shunt in patients with no relevant venovenous collaterals or leaks in the atrial tunnel was calculated at 6.4±3.0% of the systemic blood flow, while the intracardiac right-to-left shunt in patients with relevant collaterials or leaks accounted for 13.0±5.9% of the systemic blood flow. Since intrapulmonary arteriovenous fistulas were not demonstrated angiographically in any of our patients, the intrapulmonary right-to-left shunt is probably due to low ratios of perfusion to ventilation in some pulmonary segments. The intracafdiac right-to-left shunt was due to leaks across the interatrial baffle, collaterals between stystemic and pulmonary veins, and to the coronary sinus draining to the pulmonary venous atrium.


Author(s):  
Maria Restrepo ◽  
Lucia Mirabella ◽  
Elaine Tang ◽  
Chris Haggerty ◽  
Mark A. Fogel ◽  
...  

Single ventricle heart defects affect 2 per 1000 live births in the US and are lethal if left untreated. The Fontan procedure used to treat these defects consists of a series of palliative surgeries to create the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC), which bypasses the right heart. In the last stage of this procedure, the inferior vena cava (IVC) is connected to the pulmonary arteries (PA) using one of the two approaches: the extra-cardiac (EC), where a synthetic graft is used as the conduit; and the lateral tunnel (LT) where part of the atrial wall is used along with a synthetic patch to create the conduit. The LT conduit is thought to grow in size in the long term because it is formed partially with biological tissue, as opposed to the EC conduit that retains its original size because it contains only synthetic material. The growth of the LT has not been yet quantified, especially in respect to the growth of other vessels forming the TCPC. Furthermore, the effect of this growth on the hemodynamics has not been elucidated. The objective of this study is to quantify the TCPC vessels growth in LT patients from serial magnetic resonance (MR) images, and to understand its effect on the connection hemodynamics using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).


2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (S3) ◽  
pp. 38-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
francesca gervaso ◽  
silvia kull ◽  
giancarlo pennati ◽  
francesco migliavacca ◽  
gabriele dubini ◽  
...  

the bidirectional cavo-pulmonary anastomosis is a well-established palliative procedure for patients with a functionally univentricular circulation. it is usually considered one step in preparation for fontan procedure, but it may be performed as a long-term palliation for patients deemed to be at high-risk. in this subset of patients, a valuable surgical option could be to add, or maintain, an additional source of flow of blood to the lungs, either derived from a patent but banded trunk or one protected by native pulmonary stenosis, or a systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunt. the risk and benefits of providing an additional source of pulmonary flow after construction of a bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis are strongly debated. in terms of benefit, the arterial saturation of oxygen is increased due to the greater ratio of pulmonary-to-systemic flow, arteriovenous fistulas are prevented and, as a consequence of the arterial pulsatile flow, the pulmonary arteries are stimulated to grow. the most significant drawbacks are volume overload of the functionally single ventricle, and higher pressures compared to an isolated bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1436-1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuichi Shiraishi ◽  
Toshihide Nakano ◽  
Shinichiro Oda ◽  
Hideaki Kado

AbstractBackgroundsThe aim of this study was to assess the impact of age at bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis on haemodynamics after total cavopulmonary connection.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive patients who underwent total cavopulmonary connection from 2010 to 2014. All patients had previously undergone bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis. These patients were classified into two groups according to age at bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis: younger group, <6 months (n=33), and older group, >6 months (n=67).ResultsThe proportion of hypoplastic left heart syndrome was higher in the younger group (48 versus 4%). After total cavopulmonary connection, the chest tube period was longer in the younger group (10.1±6.6 versus 6.7±4.5 days; p=0.009). Catheterisation 6 months after total cavopulmonary connection revealed that pulmonary artery pressure was higher (11.5±1.9 versus 10.4±2.1 mmHg; p=0.017) and Nakata index was lower (219±79 versus 256±70 mm2/m2; p=0.024) in the younger group. In patients with a non-hypoplastic left heart syndrome, there was no difference in post-operative haemodynamics between two groups, but the total amount of chest drainage after total cavopulmonary connection was larger in the younger group (109±95 versus 55±40 ml/kg; p=0.044).ConclusionsEarly bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis did not affect the outcome of total cavopulmonary connection. Longer chest tube period, smaller pulmonary artery, and higher pulmonary artery pressure after total cavopulmonary connection were recognised in early bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis patients, especially in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.


1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-236
Author(s):  
Gül Sagin-Saylam ◽  
Jane Somerville

AbstractTo demonstrate the use of transthoracic contrast echocardiography in the detection of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in patients with a previously constructed anastomosis between the superior caval vein and the right pulmonary artery (Glenn shunt), and to examine their prevalence in this special population, we evaluated prospectively all patients followed up in the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Unit subsequent to construction of a classical or bi-directional Glenn shunt. We studied 12 patients, aged from 21 to 38 (mean 28 ± 4.8) years who had had a previous cavopulmonary shunt in place for a period of 4 to 33 years (mean 24±9 years). All were examined with cross-sectional contrast echocardiography, 11 patients had cardiac catheterisation and angiography, and 6 patients had magnetic resonance imaging. Systemic arterial oxygen saturations at rest, and during exercise using the modified Bruce protocol, were measured in all patients. Contrast echocardiography showed evidence of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in 7 of the 12 patients, with appearance of echo contrast in the left atrium 1–8 seconds after peripheral venous injection in the arm. Simultaneous appearance of microbubbles in the right atrium revealed a residual communication between the superior caval vein and the right atrium in 2 patients, and presence of collaterals between the superior and inferior caval veins in one. Cardiac catheterisation and angiography showed obvious fistulas in 4 patients, and revealed suggestive findings in 2. In patients deemed to have pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas on contrast echocardiography, arterial oxygen saturations at rest (51–94%, mean 75±15.3%) and on exercise (23–91%, mean 53±24.2%) were significantly lower compared to patients judged to be without fistulas (p<0.005). Pulmonary hypertension in the contralateral lung was more common in patients with fistulas (mean left pulmonary arterial pressure 22–110 mm Hg, p=0.014). In patients with cavopulmonary anastomoses, pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas occur frequently in the long term (10–33, mean 25.7±8 years), and are associated with worsening systemic arterial desaturation. Contrast echocardiography should be included in the regular evaluation of these patients as a simple and sensitive technique for the detection of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas, particularly with the devel opment of increasing cyanosis.


2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Schreiber ◽  
Martin Kostolny ◽  
Jürgen Hörer ◽  
Julie Cleuziou ◽  
Klaus Holper ◽  
...  

Fenestration is still widely used in right heart bypass operations. Our study was conducted to assess its need in the most recent modification, the completion of a total cavopulmonary connection with an extracardiac tube.The extracardiac approach was introduced at our institution in January, 1999. Since June of 2000, no patient had a fenestration. If more than 1 risk factor amongst ventricular function being more than moderately impaired, atrioventricular valvar regurgitation more than moderate, mean pulmonary arterial pressure more than 15 millimetres of mercury, mean atrial pressure higher than 12 millimetres of mercury, pulmonary arterial distortion, or other than sinus rhythm was present preoperatively, the patient was considered a “high risk” candidate. Postoperatively elevated pulmonary arterial pressure higher than 16 millimetres of mercury, prolonged effusions and requirement for drainage longer than 7 days, and death were considered endpoints in the statistical analysis.Our study group included 84 patients who underwent surgery up to August, 2004. A previous bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis had been accomplished in 73 patients at a mean age of 27.01 plus or minus 32.60 months, with a median of 11.5 months, without creating an additional source of flow of blood to the lungs.At the time of the total cavopulmonary connection, the mean age was 66.4 plus or minus 60.1 months, with a median of 37.1 months, and a range from 17.3 to 251.2 months, with 50 patients being younger than 48 months.We deemed 16 patients to be at “high risk”. These patients were older at the time of bidirectional cavopulmonary anstomosis (p smaller than 0.016), at the time of completion (p smaller than 0.019), and also differed in size at time of completion (p smaller than 0.020). They required a longer time on cardiopulmonary bypass (p smaller than 0.015), and reached higher early postoperative pulmonary arterial pressures after completion (p smaller than 0.025). There were no differences between groups of patients having up to 1 or more risk factors in regard to need for intubation (p smaller than 0.511), pulmonary arterial pressures after extubation (p smaller than 0.817), and duration of chest drainage (p smaller than 0.650). Three patients died, one in the group deemed at high risk. There was no death in the last 38 patients.We conclude that a total cavopulmonary connection with an extracardiac tube can be performed without fenestration, even if the patients are deemed to be at increased risk. Early staging of patients with functionally univentricular physiology might be one of the keys for these findings.


Author(s):  
Reza H. Khiabani ◽  
Sulisay Phonekeo ◽  
Harish Srinimukesh ◽  
Elaine Tang ◽  
Mark Fogel ◽  
...  

Single Ventricle Heart Defects (SVHD) are present in 2 per 1000 live births in the US. SVHD are characterized by cyanotic mixing between the de-oxygenated blood from the systemic circulation return and the oxygenated blood from the pulmonary arteries. In the current practice, surgical interventions on SVHD patients commonly result in the total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) [1]. In this configuration the systemic venous returns (inferior vena cava, IVC, and superior vena cava, SVC) are directly routed to the right and left pulmonary arteries (RPA and LPA), bypassing the right heart. The resulting anatomy has complex and unsteady hemodynamics characterized by flow mixing and flow separation. Pulsation of the inlet venous flow during a cardiac cycle and wall motion may result in complex and unsteady flow patterns in the TCPC. Although vessel wall motion and different degrees of pulsatility have been observed in vivo, non-pulsatile (time-averaged) flow boundary conditions and rigid walls have traditionally been assumed in estimating the TCPC hemodynamic parameters (such as energy loss). Recent studies have shown that these assumptions may result in significant inaccuracies in modeling TCPC hemodynamics [2, 3].


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