Evaluation of patients undergoing senning repair with two-dimensional contrast echocardiography

The postoperative anatomy of the Senning interatrial diversion was defined by two-dimensional contrast echocardiography in ten patients. A modified apical four-chamber view proved most valuable, allowing for simultaneous visualization of both the systemic venous atrium and the pulmonary venous atrium. The anatomy was confirmed with two-dimensional contrast echocardiography utilizing catheters placed in the systemic venous atrium and pulmonary venous atrium at the time of surgery. In addition, in several of the patients, we were able to detect atrial or ventricular level shunts which were not clinically apparent. One patient who was judged to have a significant shunt by two-dimensional contrast echocardiography had no anatomic site found at autopsy to explain the shunting. We conclude that two-dimensional contrast echocardiography can define the postoperative anatomy following Senning repair allowing for immediate and future evaluation. Shunting at the atrial and ventricular levels can also be detected, but the method is very sensitive and difficult to quantitate or correlate clinically.