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Experience with the extracardiac conduit
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|December 1, 1979
Summary
Extracardiac conduits in congenital heart defect repair show improved outcomes with experience. While early mortality was 25%, long-term survival is high, with porcine-valved conduits requiring fewer reoperations than homografts.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Congenital heart defects necessitate complex surgical repairs.
- Extracardiac conduits are utilized in reconstructive procedures for these defects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review outcomes of extracardiac conduit use in congenital heart defect repair.
- To analyze early and late mortality, complications, and reoperation rates.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 468 patients undergoing 516 extracardiac conduit repairs.
- Classification of defects into 10 diagnostic categories.
- Analysis of mortality, complications, conduit types (porcine valve vs. homograft), gradients, and reoperation rates.
Main Results:
- Average early mortality was 25%, decreasing with experience.
- Postoperative complication rate was 70%; conduit compression occurred in 1%.
- Late mortality averaged 3.5% per year; 18% of survivors required reoperation, mainly for calcified homografts, versus 0.8% for porcine conduits.
Conclusions:
- Extracardiac conduit repair of complex congenital heart defects can lead to good long-term outcomes.
- Porcine-valved conduits demonstrate superior durability and lower reoperation rates compared to earlier homograft conduits.
- Unrestricted lifestyles are achievable for a majority of survivors.