Outcomes of infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia by side of defect in the FETO era.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of infants with a right (RCDH) versus a left-sided (LCDH) congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and whether these differed according to whether the infants had undergone fetoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO).

Methods: Demographics, the type of surgical repair, preoperative and postoperative courses and respiratory, gastrointestinal, surgical and skeletal morbidities at follow-up were compared between infants with a RCDH or LCDH. A sub-analysis was undertaken in those who had undergone FETO.

Results: During the study period, there were 167 infants with a LCDH and 24 with a RCDH; 106 underwent FETO (15 RCDH). Overall, the need for inhaled nitric oxide (p = 0.036) was higher in the RCDH group and, at follow-up, infants with RCDH were more likely to have a hernia recurrence (p = 0.043), pectus deformity (p = 0.019), scoliosis (p = 0.029) and suffer chronic respiratory morbidity (p = 0.001). There were, however, no significant differences in short term or long term outcomes (hernia recurrence (p = 0.237), pectus deformity (p = 0.322), scoliosis (p = 0.0174) or chronic respiratory morbidity (p = 0.326)) between infants with a right or left sided CDH who had undergone FETO.

Conclusion: Overall, infants with a RCDH compared to those with a LCDH had greater long-term morbidity, but not if they had undergone FETO.