Regional cerebral perfusion for surgical correction of neonatal aortic arch obstruction

Hui Zhang1, Pei Cheng, Jia Hou

  • 1Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Perfusion
|September 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

One-stage repair of aortic arch anomalies in infants using regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) shows excellent outcomes. This surgical approach minimizes neurologic and renal complications, with all patients developing normally post-operation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
  • Congenital Heart Defects
  • Vascular Reconstruction

Background:

  • Aortic arch obstruction and associated cardiac anomalies present significant surgical challenges in infants.
  • One-stage repair is often preferred but requires meticulous technique to ensure optimal outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the outcomes of one-stage surgical correction for interrupted aortic arch (IAA), isolated aortic coarctation (iCoA), and coarctation with hypoplastic aortic arch (CoA-HyAA).
  • To evaluate the efficacy of regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) in minimizing complications during these complex infant surgeries.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of 24 infant patients undergoing one-stage aortic arch repair between January 2007 and July 2008.
  • All patients received regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) at 40 mL/kg/min through the innominate artery during aortic arch reconstruction.
  • Various surgical techniques including end-to-end anastomosis, extended anastomosis, and composite pericardial patch were employed based on the anomaly.

Main Results:

  • Operative mortality was 8.3% (2 out of 24 patients).
  • Mean follow-up was 10.5 months with no late mortality or postoperative neurologic, renal, or hepatic complications.
  • All surviving patients were asymptomatic and developing normally, with a low rate of residual or recurrent coarctation.

Conclusions:

  • One-stage total arch repair utilizing the regional cerebral perfusion (RCP) technique is an effective strategy for infant aortic arch anomalies.
  • This approach is associated with excellent clinical outcomes and a reduced incidence of neurologic and renal complications.
  • The described surgical strategy demonstrates a low rate of residual and recurrent coarctation in this pediatric population.

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