[Results of the surgery of the truncus arteriosus: present implications]

We report our results of truncus arteriosus surgical reparation in a period of 10 years. From January 1993 to November 2003, 17 patients were operated with a median age and weight of 66 days and 3.5 kg respectively. According to the Van Praagh classification there were 13 cases of type A1, 2 cases of type A2 and 2 cases of A4. The connection between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery was performed by a homograft (n = 12), a Contegra tube (n = 1) or a Barbero-Marcial intervention (n = 4). In one case, a plasty of the truncus was performed. Patients were classified in two groups: group A for those operated between 1993 and 1997 (n = 8) and group B for those operated after 1997 (n = 9). Five patients died (29%) in the post-operative period, 4 in the group A (50%) and one in group B (11%). The mean duration of intensive care stay was 12.2 (+ 7.4) days. Statistical analysis did not reveal any difference between both groups, especially concerning post-operative treatment or prognosis. In the multivariate analysis, an age below 30 days was a risk factor of post-operative death (OR = 16.5, 95% CI = 1.09 - 250; p = 0.043). After a mean follow-up of 3.9 (+ 3.5) years, 2 patients required a redo intervention for replacement of the pulmonary artery homograft. All 12 suvivors are asymptomatic without any pulmonary hypertension. In conclusion, the results of surgical reparation of the truncus arteriosus seem to improve with experience. According to recent progresses in surgery and intensive care, the intervention can be scheduled beyond the neonatal period without additive risk and with potentially less consecutive redo interventions.