Outcomes of Patients Undergoing the Kawashima Procedure at an Early Age: A Single Center Experience.

Background: Previous reports have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of performing early Kawashima procedure (KP). Despite this, more recent studies have shown that the average age at the time of operation remains greater than one year of age. We report our experience with performing KP at an earlier age than previously reported.

Injection Medialization in Infants with Vocal Fold Immobility Improves Dysphagia.

Background: Unilateral vocal fold immobility (VFI) is a known cause of morbidity amongst children following congenital heart surgery. Injection medialization (IM) provides medial distraction and improves glottic closure. Limited objective data is available for the effect of IM in young children (<2 years-old) with VFI.

Ultrasound Screening After Cardiac Surgery Shows Vocal Fold Impairment and Predicts Aspiration.

Introduction: Vocal fold motion impairment (VFMI) is a known consequence after high-risk cardiac surgery. We implemented a universal laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) screening protocol for VFMI after the Norwood and aortic arch surgery. We hypothesized that LUS would accurately identify VFMI and predict postoperative aspiration.

Encouraging results of blood conservation in neonatal open-heart surgery.

Objective: To report early outcomes of blood conservation in neonatal open-heart surgery.

Methods: Ninety-nine patients undergoing neonatal open-heart surgery during the implementation of a blood conservation program between May 2021 and February 2023 were reviewed. Patients either received traditional blood management (blood prime, n = 43) or received blood conservation strategies (clear prime, n = 56).

Melody Valve in Aortic Position to Facilitate Mechanical Circulatory Support as a Bridge to Cardiac Transplantation.

We report a patient with congenital heart disease and end stage heart failure after interventions for congenital heart disease resulting in aortic regurgitation that could not be treated with mechanical support to bridge to transplantation. We used a Melody valve (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN) in aortic position to achieve aortic competence to allow use of a left ventricular assist device to bridge the patient successfully to cardiac transplantation.

Cerebral Thromboembolism From Ligated Blalock-Taussig Shunt in an Adult Patient.

A 26-year-old woman underwent tetralogy of Fallot repair and classic Blalock-Taussig shunt (BTS) ligation. On postoperative day 4 she developed severe left-sided hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction. Thrombi in the BTS stump, right brachiocephalic artery, and its branches were removed surgically and the BTS stump was resected.

Prenatal diagnosis of left pulmonary artery-to-pulmonary vein fistula and its successful surgical repair in a neonate.

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a rare disease. To the best of our knowledge, prenatal diagnosis of a fistula between the left pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary vein has not been described in the medical literature. We report a case of the prenatal diagnosis of a left pulmonary artery-to-pulmonary vein fistula, followed by successful neonatal surgical repair.

Side-to-side aorto-GoreTex central shunt warrants central shunt patency and pulmonary arteries growth.

Background: Central shunts may be associated with a high rate of thrombosis and pulmonary artery distortion.

Methods: Between January 2000 and April 2010, 68 consecutive patients underwent side-to-side aorto-Gore-Tex central shunts (W.L.

Outcomes of second-run extracorporeal life support in children: a single-institution experience.

Background: After weaning from mechanical circulatory support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or ventricular assist devices, patients may recurrently deteriorate and require reinstitution of support. Potential benefits of this desperate strategy are not well documented.

Methods: We reviewed the hospital records of all patients in whom second-run mechanical circulatory support was instituted from May 1988 to August 2010.

Surgical repair of truncus arteriosus associated with interrupted aortic arch: long-term outcomes.

Background: Truncus arteriosus (TA) with interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare combination of complex anomalies. We report long-term follow-up after one-stage repair of TA associated with IAA.

Methods: From April 1985 to August 2007, 16 patients with TA associated with IAA underwent one-stage repair.