Determinants of clinical right ventricular failure after congenital heart surgery in adults

Right ventricular (RV) failure after cardiac surgery is a clinical entity with high morbidity and mortality. Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) often undergo right-sided cardiac surgery. The authors aimed to identify determinants of RV failure after cardiac surgery to differentiate patients with increased risk.

A retrospective chart review.

University hospital.

Adults with CHD operated on between January 2001 and January 2011.

Clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, surgical data, and intensive care unit outcome were obtained from medical records.

The diagnosis of clinical RV failure was made by careful review of the medical records by 2 independent physicians. Patients only were identified as having RV failure if (1) they had elevated jugular venous pressure, (2) they had impaired postoperative RV function on transthoracic echocardiography, and (3) a diagnosis of RV failure was documented clearly in the medical charts by the treating physician. Data of 412 consecutive patients (median age 36 [range 18-74] years, 56% male) were studied. Eighteen patients had clinical RV failure (4.4%) postoperatively, of whom 6 patients died. Patients undergoing left- and both-sided surgery had an equal risk of developing clinical RV failure as compared with patients undergoing right-sided surgery. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, preoperative impaired RV function, supraventricular tachycardia, and cardiopulmonary bypass time >150 minutes were the strongest determinants of clinical RV failure (p<0.05, for all).

RV failure after cardiac surgery is a serious complication, and occurs regardless of the side of surgery. A tailored approach in patients with CHD at highest risk of RV failure should be considered.