Transaortic approach has a role in the surgical treatment of ventricular septal defects

A transaortic approach was used for surgical closure of ventricular septal defects (VSDs), sometimes as first choice and otherwise as an alternative approach. This paper presents the experience in a group of 124 patients who underwent VSD closure by a transaortic approach in an 18-year-period, between 1974 and 1992. Patients were divided in three groups: (I) Isolated VSD, 89 patients (mean age 7.6 years); (II) VSD associated with other malformations, 27 patients (mean age 10.8 years); and (III) recurrent VSD, eight patients (mean age 15.6 years). Two deaths occurred in the postoperative period (2/124), one after closure of VSD in a patient with severe pulmonary hypertension; another death was observed after transaortic closure of the VSD as part of the repair of a complex heart malformation. There were no instances of new right bundle branch block (RBBB) in the group operated on for isolated VSDs. Three cases of left bundle branch block (LBBB) (3.4%) occurred in the isolated VSD group. There were no cases of complete aortic valve (AV) block in the whole series and no instances of AV dysfunction. The transaortic approach is an alternative for the surgical treatment of ventricular septal defects. The ease of exposure and closure of defects suggest this technique to be a particularly attractive approach in the treatment of small to moderate-sized VSDs and also in recurrent VSDs.