Valved homograft conduit repair of the right heart in early infancy.

Background: Valved homograft conduit repair in neonates and young infants creates a physiologically normal biventricular circulation, and unlike shunts, avoids surgery on the branch pulmonary.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was used for 84 patients operated on between 1990 and 1995 (mean age 26+/-28 days, mean weight 3.3+/-0.8 kg) undergoing homograft conduit repair in the first 3 months of life. Cases were divided into simple and complex, eg, absent pulmonary valve syndrome or associated interrupted arch. Mean homograft size was 9.0+/-2 mm.

Results: Early mortality was 4.7% (simple) and 30% (complex). Mean hospital stay was 18 days. Mean follow-up was 34 months. Thirty-seven (47%) patients underwent conduit replacement. Median time to reoperation was 3.1 years. Mean size of replacement homograft was 17+/-2 mm. There were no deaths at reoperation. Mean hospital stay at conduit change was 6.3 days. Probability of survival at 5 years is 75%.

Conclusions: Biventricular repair employing a conduit can be performed safely in noncomplex anomalies in the first 3 months of life. Time interval until repeat surgery is relatively short but equal or greater than that with most palliative procedures.