Cause-Specific Mortality in Patients During Long-Term Follow-Up After Atrial Switch for Transposition of the Great Arteries.

Background Little is known about the cause of death (CoD) in patients with transposition of the great arteries palliated with a Mustard or Senning procedure. The aim was to describe the CoD for patients with the Mustard and Senning procedure during short- (<10 years), mid- (10-20 years), and long-term (>20 years) follow-up after the operation. Methods and Results This is a retrospective, descriptive multicenter cohort study including all Nordic patients (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden) who underwent a Mustard or Senning procedure between 1967 and 2003.

Procedural risk factors, incidence and timing of reintervention after treatment for native coarctation of the aorta in children: a population-based study†.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate procedural risk factors, incidence and timing of reintervention because of recurrent aortic coarctation in children.

Methods: The study cohort consisted of 304 patients with isolated coarctation: 251 underwent surgery and 53 were treated percutaneously (40 balloon angioplasty, 13 stent) at the Helsinki Children's Hospital in 2000-2012. Characteristics, intervention and reintervention data were retrospectively collected from clinical records until 2014 (median follow-up 7.

Outcomes after the Mustard, Senning and arterial switch operation for treatment of transposition of the great arteries in Finland: a nationwide 4-decade perspective.

Objectives: We analysed nationwide early and late results after the Mustard, Senning and arterial switch operation.

Methods: We included all paediatric patients (<18 years) who underwent a Senning, a Mustard or an arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries from 1968 to 2009 in Finland. Data were obtained retrospectively from a paediatric cardiac surgical database and population data from the Finnish national registry.

Initial shunt type at the Norwood operation impacts myocardial function in hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Objectives: We investigated the impact of initial shunt type, a Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt versus a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit (RV-PA) on myocardial function at different stages of surgical palliation in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).

Methods: A population-based cohort of 63 Finnish children with HLHS (BT n  = 23, RV-PA n  = 40) born between 2003 and 2010 were studied retrospectively by echocardiography prior to Stages 1, 2 and 3 palliation and 0.5-3 years after Stage 3.

Late Causes of Death After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A 60-Year Population-Based Study.

Background: Comprehensive information regarding causes of late post-operative death following pediatric congenital cardiac surgery is lacking.

Objectives: The study sought to analyze late causes of death after congenital cardiac surgery by era and defect severity.

Methods: We obtained data from a nationwide pediatric cardiac surgery database and Finnish population registry regarding patients who underwent cardiac surgery at <15 years of age at 1 of 5 universities or 1 district hospital in Finland from 1953 to 2009.