Hemodynamics of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in lambs

Despite surgical treatment, congenital foramen of Bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia continues to carry a high mortality rate due to associated respiratory insufficiency. We studied the pathologic and hemodynamic changes that result from this condition in lambs. Surgical creation of diaphragmatic hernias in fetal lambs was performed in utero with subsequent delivery by cesarean section near term. Cardiac catheterization was performed on these newborn lambs immediately after delivery, before and after surgical repair of the defect. Data from five of these lambs were compared to data obtained from seven normal lambs. Pulmonary hypertension was found only in lambs with hernias. Pulmonary artery pressures and the mean ratio of pulmonary to systemic resistance were higher in experimental lambs. Oxygen saturation and average cardiac index were higher in normals. Lambs in the experimental group, but not in the control group, had large left-to-right shunts at the level of the ductus arteriosus in the early neonatal period. Arterial oxygen saturations were consistently low with no differences in pre- and post-ductal samples, which suggests right-to-left shunting at the atrial level or physiologic shunting across the unexpanded lungs. No further expansion of the hypoplastic lungs occurred following decompression by surgical hernia repair, but transient hemodynamic improvement was noted in some cases. Surgical ligation of the ductus arteriosus did not significantly alter the clinical condition of the lambs. Lungs in lambs with hernias were grossly abnormal, the left appearing more hypoplastic than the right.