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Dysphagia in infants after open heart procedures

Sook-Hee Yi1, Sang-Jun Kim, June Huh

  • 1Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
|March 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Open heart surgery in infants can lead to dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) in 24% of cases. Early detection of risk factors and swallowing problems is crucial for better infant care and shorter hospital stays.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Swallowing Disorders
  • Neonatal Care

Background:

  • Infants undergoing open heart procedures are at risk for developing postoperative complications.
  • Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a potential complication that can impact infant feeding and recovery.
  • Understanding the prevalence and predictors of dysphagia is essential for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of dysphagia in infants following open heart surgery.
  • To identify clinical predictors associated with dysphagia in this population.
  • To characterize videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) findings in infants with postsurgical dysphagia.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 146 infants who underwent open heart surgery.
  • Comparison of infants with and without dysphagia based on clinical factors.
  • Evaluation of VFSS findings in infants diagnosed with dysphagia.

Main Results:

  • Dysphagia was present in 35 (24.0%) of the 146 infants.
  • Infants with dysphagia had lower body weight, more malformation syndromes, and longer/more complex operations.
  • VFSS revealed abnormalities in 97% of affected infants, with 63.6% exhibiting tracheal aspiration.

Conclusions:

  • The high prevalence of dysphagia and aspiration in infants post-open heart surgery necessitates vigilant monitoring.
  • Prompt recognition of dysphagia signs and risk factors can significantly improve infant feeding outcomes.
  • Early intervention may reduce hospital stay duration and enhance overall infant care.
Abstract

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