Search Results (3)

Sinus venosus atrial septal defects (SVASDs), concurrent with partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections (PAPVCs), are a rare congenital heart disease in dogs. Surgical correction is essential when clinical signs or significant hemodynamic changes are present. We aimed to report on the successful surgical correction of an SVASD with PAPVCs, using a computed tomography (CT)-based customized 3D cardiac model. A 10-month-old male poodle was referred for corrective surgery for an ASD. Echocardiography confirmed a hemodynamically significant left-to-right shunting flow through an interatrial septal defect and severe right-sided heart volume overload. For a comprehensive diagnosis, a CT scan was performed, which confirmed an SVASD with PAPVCs. A customized 3D cardiac model was used for preoperative decision-making and surgical rehearsal. The defect was repaired using an autologous pericardial patch under a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Temporary pacing was applied for sinus bradycardia and third-degree atrioventricular block. The patient recovered from the anesthesia without further complications. The pacemaker was removed during hospitalization and the patient was discharged without complications 2 weeks post-surgery. At the three-month follow-up, there was no shunting flow in the interatrial septum and the right-sided volume overload had been resolved. The cardiac medications were discontinued, and there were no complications. This report indicates the validity of surgical correction under CPB for an SVASD with PAPVCs, and the advantages of utilizing a CT-based 3D cardiac model for preoperative planning to increase the surgical success rate. Full article

Minimally invasive surgeries for pediatric patients have been proposed for decades, with different approaches in mind. Minimal right axillary thoracotomy (MRAT), proposed two decades ago, allows the preservation of patients’ safety alongside faster aesthetic and functional recovery. The MRAT did not become widely adopted due to the prejudice that to follow a minimally invasive approach, safety and efficacy must be compromised. With this study, we aim to compare MRAT to the standard median sternotomy approach with a focus on safety and clinical outcomes. Between January 2017 and April 2021, 216 patients diagnosed with ASD, pAVSD, or PAPVD underwent surgical repair with different approaches in the same period. MRAT was used for 78 patients, and median sternotomy was used for 138 patients. In this last group, standard median sternotomy (SMS) was used for 116 patients, while a minimal skin incision (SMS mini) was used for 22 patients. There were no major complications overall nor in each specific approach. MRAT enabled the successful repair of simple heart defects, providing similar post-operative and cardiological recovery. MRAT does not compromise patients’ safety and does not prolong the duration of surgery once the learning curve is overcome, which is generally after 15–20 consecutive operations. Full article

Robert Anderson has made a huge contribution to almost all aspects of morphology and understanding of congenital cardiac malformations, none more so than the group of anomalies that many of those in the practice of paediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease now call ‘Atrioventricular Septal Defect’ (AVSD). In 1982, with Anton Becker working in Amsterdam, their hallmark ‘What’s in a name?’ editorial was published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. At that time most described the group of lesions as ‘atrioventricular canal malformation’ or ‘endocardial cushion defect’. Perhaps more significantly, the so-called ostium primum defect was thought to represent a partial variant. It was also universally thought, at that time, that the left atrioventricular valve was no more than a mitral valve with a cleft in the aortic leaflet. In addition to this, lesions such as isolated cleft of the mitral valve, large ventricular septal defects opening to the inlet of the right and hearts with straddling or overriding tricuspid valve were variations of the atrioventricular canal malformation. Anderson and Becker emphasised the differences between the atrioventricular junction in the normal heart and those with a common junction for which they recommended the generic name, ‘atrioventricular septal defect’. As I will discuss, over many years, they continued to work with clinical cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to refine diagnostic criteria and transform the classification and understanding of this complex group of anomalies. Their emphasis was always on accurate diagnosis and communication, which is conveyed in this review. Full article