Original Article--Surgical site infections following pediatric cardiac surgery in a tertiary care hospital: Rate and risk factors.

Background: Surgical site infections [SSIs] are the second most common type of healthcare-associated infections and leading cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in pediatric cardiac surgery. This study aims to determine the rate of, risk factors for, and most common pathogen associated with the development of SSIs after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Methods: Patients aged ≤14 years who underwent cardiac surgery at our tertiary care hospital between January 2010 and December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed.

Predictors for the Outcome of Aortic Regurgitation After Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Ventricular Septal Defect and Aortic Cusp Prolapse in Saudi Patients.

Background And Aim: Aortic valve (AV) prolapse and subsequent aortic regurgitation (AR) are two complications of ventricular septal defects (VSD) that are located close to or in direct contact with the AV. This finding is one of the indications for surgical VSD closure even in the absence of symptoms to protect the AV integrity. The goal of our study was to assess the outcome and to identify the predictors for improvement or progression of AR after surgical repair.

Distinct genetic architectures for syndromic and nonsyndromic congenital heart defects identified by exome sequencing.

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) have a neonatal incidence of 0.8-1% (refs. 1,2).

Role of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in pediatric cardiac surgery.

Background: Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has a major role in detecting residual lesions during and/or after pediatric cardiac surgery.

Methods: All pediatric patients who underwent cardiac surgery between July 2001 and December 2008 were reviewed. The records of surgical procedure, intraoperative TEE, and predischarge transthoracic echocardiograms were reviewed to determine minor and major residual cardiac lesions after surgical repair.

Outcome of low body weight (<2.2 kg) infants undergoing cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Infants with low body weight (LBW) following cardiac surgery are a major challenge for the post cardiac surgery care unit. It has been observed that post surgery outcome for LBW infants is worse compared to the outcome of normal body weight infants. A study was conducted to compare post operative course and outcome of infants with body weight of 2.

Short- and mid-term outcomes of total correction of Taussig-Bing anomaly.

Double-outlet right ventricle (DORV)/Taussig-Bing (TB) anomaly is the second most common type of DORV. This study evaluates our experience and outcomes of total correction of DORV-TB anomaly at King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center. We conducted a retrospective study for all cases of TB anomaly repaired between June 2001 and April 2009.

Outcome of Norwood and Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedures for univentricular congenital heart anomalies.

Objectives: To review the experience with Norwood and Damus-Kaye-Stansel (DKS) staged repair in the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), or functional single ventricle (FSV) with systemic outflow tract obstruction (SOTO).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from a single center from January 2001 to September 2007 at the Cardiac Sciences Department, King Abdulaziz Cardiac Center, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The cardiac departmental database was reviewed, together with the echocardiographic findings.

Early outcome of children with complex atrial isomerism undergoing uni-ventricular cardiac palliation.

Objective: To review the postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) course and early outcome of children with complex atrial isomeric hearts undergoing cardiac surgery for uni-ventricular heart repair.

Methods: A retrospective review and analysis of ICU course of pediatric patients with atrial isomerism admitted from January 2000 to December 2004 in King Abdul-Aziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who underwent uni-ventricular repair.

Results: During the study period, 18 (n=18) patients were identified to have complex congenital heart disease (CHD) associated with atrial isomerism.

A familial variant of the Scimitar syndrome with a meandering pulmonary vein.

We report a rare variant of the Scimitar syndrome, in which the right lower pulmonary vein takes a meandering course before finally connecting in normal fashion to the left atrium. The pulmonary parenchymal segment drained by the tortuous vein is supplied by a systemic collateral artery, which was coiled via a catheter. We also closed the intracardiac defects by surgery.