Long-term results of a strategy of aortic valve repair in the pediatric population.

Objectives: To determine rate of reoperation subsequent to primary valve repair in a pediatric population.

Methods: Between 1996 and 2009, 142 consecutive patients underwent aortic valve repair in our institution. Median age at surgery was 9 years, with 30 being younger than age 1 year. Indication for surgery was stenosis (n = 76), regurgitation (n = 55), and both (n = 11). Forty-six patients underwent repair with no addition of patch, whereas 96 patients required addition of patches of glutaraldehyde preserved autologous pericardium for cusp extension (n = 51) and other repair (n = 45).

Results: In the early postoperative period after cusp extension repair, 2 patients had a sudden unexplained death and 1 had cardiac arrest requiring mechanical support and heart transplantation. Two additional patients with cusp extension displayed signs of coronary ischemia. After a mean follow-up of 3.4 ± 3.5 years, only 1 patient died of a noncardiac cause. Seven-year freedom from reoperation was 80% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66-89). By multivariate analysis, the only predictors of reintervention were cusp extension (hazard ratio [HR], 5.4; 95% CI, 1.7-16.8; P = .004) and infants (HR, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.7-18.4; P = .005). At final echocardiography follow-up, 23 of 119 survivors without reoperation had moderate (19%), 1 had moderate-severe (1%), and 1 had severe regurgitation (1%), whereas 12 (10%) had a moderate degree of stenosis.

Conclusions: Aortic valve repair in pediatric populations is effective in postponing reintervention. The longevity of the repair is shorter after cusp extension and when performed in infants. Caution should be used when performing tricsupidization and cusp extension of bicuspid valves because it can be responsible for mortality related to occlusion of the coronary ostia by patches.