Beating-Heart Sliding Arch Aortoplasty for Arch Hypoplasia Beyond Infancy.

Hypoplasia of the aortic arch commonly accompanies coarctation of the aorta and should be addressed at the time of coarctation repair to prevent residual gradient. Using a novel technique, McKenzie et al performed an ascending sliding arch aortoplasty to correct hypoplasia using native aortic tissue. This procedure was accomplished with an arrested heart and uses the fact that the ascending aorta associated with the hypoplastic arch is typically elongated.

Pseudo-preexcitation is prevalent among patients with repaired complex congenital heart disease.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of preexcitation and possible pseudo-preexcitation among patients undergoing complex congenital heart surgery at a single center. During a 6-year period (2007-2013), the study retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records and electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 98 patients who had undergone complex cardiac surgery at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. The presence and timing of delta waves or short PR interval were evaluated as well as the results of testing for the presence of an accessory pathway.