Surgical experience of aortopulmonary window repair in infants

The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze our results of both simple and complex aortopulmonary window (APW) repair in infants. From September 1994 to May 2003, 21 infants which included 15 with simple APW (weight 3.9+/-0.8 kg and age 5.1+/-3.7 months) and six with complex APW (weight 4.03+/-1.1 kg and age 5+/-3.8 months) underwent APW repair at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. The approach for APW repair was ligation without CPB in four patients, division and suturing using CPB in one patient, trans-aortic with Goretex patch closure in 11 patients, trans-pulmonary in one patient and trans-window in four patients. The hospital mortality was 13% and 33% for simple and complex APW, respectively. On mean follow-up of 39 months there was no re-operation or late death. An early repair of APW is mandatory to achieve a good surgical result. Trans-aortic repair of APW is the procedure of choice for all APWs, except in the case of large defects where anterior sandwich patch technique (trans-window repair) may be done. In our view, simple ligation without CPB should be avoided due to the possibility of residual APW and distortion of pulmonary artery.