Novel concepts and early results of repairing common arterial trunk

Common Arterial Trunk (CAT) continues to have a very poor prognosis globally. To address that, we have developed a novel technique targeting key concepts for the correction of all components of the anomaly, using autologous arterial tissue. This aims to enhance results, availability worldwide, and importantly to avoid the need for repeated reoperations.

From January 2019 to 4 January 2021, all patients with isolated CAT had repair of the defect using autologous arterial trunk tissue with direct right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery (PA) connection. Clinical outcomes, follow-up which included multi-slice computed tomography 3D segmentation and 4D cardiovascular magnetic resonance flow, are presented.

Twenty patients were included in the study (median age 4.5 months). There were 2 hospital deaths due to systemic infection and pulmonary hypertensive crisis, respectively. Following discharge all patients remained asymptomatic with no signs of heart failure and improved pattern of growth (median follow-up: 8 months). Early postoperative 3D segmentation showed a conical shaped neo-right ventricular outflow chamber connecting the body of the RV to the main PA through a valveless ostium, and normal crossing of PA and neo-aorta. 4D cardiovascular magnetic resonance pattern of flow showed normal rapid laminar flow through the atrioventricular valves followed by a vortex towards the outflow tracts. There was laminar flow through the neo-aorta and neo-PA with velocity not exceeding 2.5 m/s. The PA regurgitant fraction was 25 ± 5% and was limited to early diastole.

The initial results of utilizing the key concepts, using autologous arterial tissue for the repair of CAT, are encouraging, both clinically and by multimodality imaging.