Stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome in low birth weight neonates: can we justify it?
Abstract
Although the outcome of cardiac surgery in neonates with low birth weight (LBW) has improved, LBW remains a risk factor for surgical palliation. Few surgical series of LBW patients include those with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). To identify variables associated with poor outcome in this group, we reviewed our experience with patients with HLHS and LBW who underwent Stage I Norwood palliation. Between January 1998 and December 2000, 20 consecutive LBW (<2500 g) neonates with HLHS (n=13) or HLHS variant (n=7) underwent surgical palliation. Retrospective review of all patient data and analysis to identify risk factors was performed. Mean age at surgery was 5.1+/-4.6 days (range 1-17), mean weight was 1.98+/-0.44 kg (range 1.1-2.5), including nine patients under 2 kg. Ten patients were born at <35 weeks gestation. Anatomic diagnosis included HLHS in 13 patients (10 with aortic atresia), unbalanced atrioventricular canal defect in two, double outlet right ventricle in two and other variants in three. Mean ascending aortic size was 4.0+/-1.8 mm (range 1.5-8). Associated cardiac defects were present in three patients, and a genetic syndrome and/or congenital anomaly was present in four of them. Mean circulatory arrest time ...Continue Reading
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