Repair of atrioventricular canal with double-outlet right ventricle, transposition, or truncus arteriosus
Christo I Tchervenkov1, Pierre-Luc Bernier, Danny Del Duca
1Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
Insights
Surgical repair of atrioventricular canal and conotruncal anomalies is complex. Tailored approaches, including VSD translocation, enable biventricular repair in most challenging pediatric heart cases.
Area of Science:
- Congenital heart disease
- Pediatric cardiac surgery
- Cardiovascular anatomy
Background:
- Atrioventricular canal (AVC) and conotruncal anomalies present complex surgical challenges.
- Key goals include unobstructed ventricular outflow, septal defect closure, and preventing atrioventricular valve regurgitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review surgical strategies for complex AVC and conotruncal anomalies.
- To highlight techniques enabling biventricular repair in challenging cases.
Main Methods:
- Review of surgical techniques for AVC and conotruncal anomalies.
- Discussion of single-patch vs. two-patch repairs.
- Emphasis on VSD translocation and arterial switch operations.
Main Results:
- Biventricular repair is achievable in most patients with balanced AVC and conotruncal anomalies.
- VSD translocation facilitates anatomic biventricular repair in complex cases.
- Arterial switch operation is an option for specific AVC with TGA or DORV subtypes.
Conclusions:
- The heterogeneity of these anomalies necessitates individualized surgical planning.
- VSD translocation is a valuable technique for complex biventricular repair.
- Successful outcomes depend on tailoring the approach to the specific cardiac anatomy.
Abstract:
Atrioventricular canal and conotruncal anomalies are a heterogeneous group of lesions presenting unique challenges for surgical repair. These are the establishment of unobstructed pathways from left ventricle (LV) to aorta and from right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery, closure of the inlet ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrial septal defect (ASD) ostium primum, and the avoidance of significant left and right atrioventricular valve (AV) regurgitation. Repair of complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC) with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) has been most commonly achieved, either using a single-patch or a 2-patch technique. In patients with CAVC with double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) with subaortic VSD extension, the 2-patch repair is not unlike that of CAVC with TOF. However, biventricular repair is most challenging in patients with CAVC and complete origin of the aorta from the RV, as in CAVC with DORV and noncommitted VSD and those with CAVC with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and LVOTO. The technique of VSD translocation allows anatomic biventricular repair for these particularly challenging patients. The arterial switch operation with CAVC repair can be used for patients with CAVC with DORV with subpulmonary VSD extension and CAVC with TGA without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. Biventricular repair is achievable in most patients with balanced complete atrioventricular canal and conotruncal anomaly. The extreme heterogeneity of CAVC with conotruncal anomalies requires a highly individual approach that is tailored to the specific constellation of lesions in each patient.
Related Concept Videos
Chambers of the Heart
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
Development of the Heart
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart tube by...


