Brain natriuretic peptide levels before and after ventricular septal defect repair.

Background: Brain natriuretic peptide is a relatively recently discovered circulating mediator that has been correlated with the degree of heart failure in adults. This study evaluated the preoperative and postoperative brain natriuretic peptide levels in infants and children undergoing ventricular septal defect repair.

Methods: The study enrolled 18 infants and children (ages 2 months to 15.

Surgical correction of congenital left coronary artery-main pulmonary artery fistula in association with anomalous right coronary artery.

The association of a left coronary artery-main pulmonary artery fistula and an anomalous right coronary artery originating from the main pulmonary artery is the subject of this report. This unique combination of congenital cardiac anomalies establishes a double coronary steal from the left coronary artery, which hemodynamically represents the sole source of myocardial perfusion. The left coronary artery-main pulmonary artery fistula was closed and the coexisting anomalous right coronary artery reimplanted into the anterior aspect of the ascencing aorta.