Twelve Years of Complete Atrioventricular Septal Defect Repair

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Congenital Heart Surgery
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is a congenital heart condition requiring surgical intervention.
• Standard surgical repair techniques include single patch, modified single patch, and two patch methods.
• Surgeon preference and defect anatomy dictate the chosen surgical approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of surgical repair for complete AVSD over a 12-year period.
• To compare the efficacy of different surgical techniques for complete AVSD repair.
• To assess the incidence of complications and long-term functional status post-repair.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 81 children undergoing complete AVSD repair from June 2006 to June 2018.
• Exclusion criteria included tetralogy of Fallot and unbalanced ventricles.
• Data collected included patient demographics, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes at discharge and follow-up.

Main Results:

• 84% of patients had Down syndrome; 80% were symptomatic at presentation.
• Low rates of significant atrioventricular valve insufficiency (84% at discharge, 89% at follow-up).
• 27% had residual defects at discharge, with 41% closing spontaneously; 90% achieved NYHA class I at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Surgical repair of complete AVSD achieves favorable early and midterm results.
• The choice of surgical technique did not significantly impact main repair outcomes.
• Good functional status and acceptable complication rates were observed across all techniques.