ObjectiveTo analyze clinical outcomes of sutureless technique for patients undergoing surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). MethodsBetween July 2007 and December 2013, 132 consecutive TAPVC patients underwent surgical correction in Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute. Those patients with such associated congenital cardiac anomalies as single ventricle and right atrial isomerism were excluded from this study. All the patients underwent biventricular repair. Preoperatively, all the patients received echocardiography, and most patients received CT scan to know the development of pulmonary veins. Preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by intraoperative exploration. According to different surgical techniques, all the patients were divided to a conventional technique group and a sutureless technique group. In the conventional technique group, there were 69 patients including 54 males (78.3%)and 15 females (21.7%)with their median age of 60 (30, 225)days and median body weight of 4.85 (3.50, 6.35)kg. In the sutureless technique group, there were 63 patients including 48 males (76.20%)and 15 females (23.8%)with their median age of 90 (30, 210)days and median body weight of 4.58 (3.72, 6.20)kg. Follow-up was performed till January 1, 2014. ResultsIn-hospital mortality (4.8% vs. 7.2%, χ2=1.414, P=0.720)and postoperative overall mortality (4.8% vs. 13.0%, χ2=2.733, P=0.098)of the sutureless technique group were both lower than those of the conventional technique group, although there was no statistical difference. Postoperative incidence of pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO)of the sutureless technique group was significantly lower than that of the conventional technique group (1.6% vs. 10.1%, χ2=4.236, P=0.040). Cox proportional-hazards regression showed that conventional technique and preoperative PVO were significant risk factors for postoperative PVO (P=0.023, P=0.016). Conventional technique was not significantly correlated with postoperative mortality (P=0.060). ConclusionSutureless technique can significantly lower postoperative incidence of PVO for patients with supracardiac TAPVC.
Objective To analyze the sutureless technique use in the surgical repair for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection in neonates. Methods Between September 2002 and December 2015, 71 consecutive neonates with supracardiac or infracardiac type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection who underwent surgical repair in our institute were included in this study. There were 57 males and 14 females at median age of 8 (1, 29) d. And the median body weight was 3.3 (2.1, 4.7) kg. There were 45 patients (63.4%) with supracardiac, 26 patients (36.6%) with infracardiac. Patients were divided into two groups: a conventional technique group (29 patients) and a sutureless technique group (42 patients). To control for potential differences in the characteristics of patients between the sutureless technique group and the conventional technique group, the method of propensity-score matching was used. Results Basic characteristics of patients after propensity-score were not different.There were 11 operative deaths (15.5%), 7 late deaths (96.%), total 18 deaths (25.4%). The mortality was 58.6% (17/29) in the conventional technique group, 2.4% (1/42) in the sutureless technique group (P=0.000). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a difference in mortality between the two groups (P=0.005). The patients were followed up for 25.5 (1.0-13.0) months.Postoperative anastomotic or pulmonary vein stenosis occurred in 12 patients, 8 of them died at a higher mortality than that of the patients with smooth anastomosis [66.7% (8/12) vs. 16.9% (10/59), P=0.001]. Conclusion The patients who have postoperative anastomotic or pulmonary vein stenosis have higher mortality. Compared with conventional technique, sutureless technique can dramatically decrease the incidence of postoperative anastomotic or pulmonary vein stenosis and the mortality of surgical repair for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection in neonates.