Publications by authors named "Ram Dhannapuneni"

Progressive dilatation of the neoaortic root and reconstructed aortic arch is a serious complication after the Norwood procedure. There are no clear guidelines on the management of this complex anatomy in the setting of single ventricle physiology, and the surgical treatment of such an entity remains anecdotal. We describe a successful surgical repair in a 15-year-old girl presenting with a severely dilated neoaortic root and aortic arch causing compression and narrowing of the left pulmonary artery after successful three-stage palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

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Transatrial approach is the standard method in repairing ventricular septal defects (VSD) in the pediatric population. However, the tricuspid valve (TV) apparatus might obscure the inferior border of the VSD risking the adequacy of repair by leaving residual VSD or heart block. Detachment of the TV chordae has been described as an alternative technique to TV leaflet detachment.

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Background: Medical advancements have encouraged minimally invasive surgical repair of congenital heart defects such as ventricular septal defects (VSDs), and the diagnostic process can now be carried out using non-traditional techniques such as pulse oximetry. This, in turn, has improved clinical outcomes with reduced complication rates post-surgery. However, the variations in type of VSDs, age of patient, comorbidities, and access to closure devices may limit the efficacy of surgical advancements.

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Objective: We aimed to examine the literature to determine if both paediatric and adult patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) are at a higher risk of poor outcomes if they have the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), compared to those without CHD.

Methods: A systematic review was executed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. To identify articles related to COVID-19 and CHD, an extensive literature search was performed on EMBASE, Medline, Scopus, and Global Health databases using keywords and MeSH terms.

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Introduction: Interpretation of risk by parents of children undergoing congenital cardiac surgery is poorly documented. The available evidence highlights a dichotomy where clinicians suggest parents may not grasp the complexity and risk associated with procedures, while some parents suggest risk is unnecessarily overemphasized.

Aim: To quantify how risk is perceived by parents.

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Introduction: The way risk is interpreted by parents of children undergoing congenital cardiac surgery is poorly documented. Literature suggests clinicians have concerns that parents may not understand the complexity of procedures. Conversely, some parents perceive an unnecessary over-emphasis of risks.

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Background: We sought to evaluate the mid-term results of a repair-oriented strategy of the aortic valve in children.

Methods: Between February 2007 and November 2011, we performed 39 aortic valve repairs in children. Median age and weight at surgery were 5.

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The combination of complex congenital cardiac anomalies and pectus excavatum represents a technical challenge. Most concomitant repairs have been performed in adult patients. We report the uncomplicated concomitant repair of double-outlet right ventricle with absent pulmonary valve syndrome and the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum in a 3-year-old child.

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