Objective To investigate somatic growth of children undergoing stageⅡ Fontan procedure. Methods Clinical data of 152 children who underwent stageⅡ Fontan procedure in Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine between January 2012 and December 2015 were reviewed. There were 84 males and 68 females at age of 4-16 years. The weight and height of those children in each operative stage were assessed, and WHO Z-score was obtained to describe the pattern of growth of the children. Results Mean weight for age Z-score (WAZ) and height for age Z-score (HAZ) were –0.73 and 0.06 at birth, –1.27±1.37 and –1.27±1.72 before Glenn procedure, –0.47±1.08 and –0.69±1.17 before Fontan procedure, –0.42±1.18 and –0.39±1.48 at follow-up, respectively. A significant decline (P<0.05) in WAZ and HAZ was found before Glenn procedure. After the Glenn procedure, there was significant catch-up growth (P<0.05). The WAZ was stabilized after Fontan procedure, while the HAZ was reversed (P<0.05) continually. Conclusion The somatic growth is impaired in children with stageⅡ Fontan procedure. There is a trough of growth before Glenn procedure. Although catch-up growth occurs after Glenn procedure, low body weight and growth retardation remain at follow-up. Effective interventions such as more intensive nutritional strategies before Glenn procedure should be targeted at those children in the future, so as to improve their growth.
Objective To explore the effect of pulmonary arterial hypertension on the children with functional single ventricle in the early period after Fontan operation. Methods Forty-three children with pulmonary arterial hypertension after Fontan operation were enrolled in our department between January 2015 and December 2016. There were 24 males and 19 females at a median age of 4.3 years ranging from 2.5 to 4.8 years. The pulmonary arterial pressure was evaluated by cardiac catheterization. There were 23 children diagnosed without pulmonary hypertension (a non-PAH group) including 16 males and 7 females, while 20 patients were diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension (a PAH group) including 8 males and 12 females. Postoperative parameters related to outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results There was no death in the non-PAH group, but the mortality of children in the PAH group was 20.0% (4/20, χ2=5.34, P=0.02). The central venous pressure (t=–2.50, P=0.02), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP, Z=–3.50, P<0.01), peritoneal dialysis rate (χ2=5.40, P=0.02), incidence of arrhythmia (χ2=4.40, P=0.03) in the PAH group were significantly higher than those of the non-PAH group. The early postoperative utilization rate of pulmonary vascular targeting agents in the PAH group was significantly higher than that in the non-PAH group (χ2=6.30, P=0.04). Conclusion Pulmonary arterial hypertension is one of the most important factors which influence the early postoperative prognosis of children with functional single ventricle after Fontan operation.