Results for Surgical Closure of Isolated Ventricular Septal Defects in Patients Under One Year of Age

Background This study evaluated the outcomes of patients undergoing surgical repair of isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) in the first year of life with particular attention to age and severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Methods Between July 1, 2002 and May 31, 2012, 282 patients aged less than one year underwent isolated VSD closure at a median age of five months (range, 21 days to 1 year) and a median weight of 5.3 kg (range, 2.9 to 12.5 kg). Patients were divided into three groups according to the age at surgery (0–3, 3–6, and 6–12 months), and groups were compared in regard to severity of PH associated with morbidity and mortality. Results Four (1.4%) early and four (1.4%) late deaths occurred postoperatively. All mortalities were patients with severe PH, aged between 3 and 12 months. Although hemodynamic studies revealed a higher incidence of persistent postoperative PH in patients above three months of age, there was no statistically significant difference in morbidity associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation, and long intensive care unit and hospital stays between age‐related groups. Conclusion In this study, the incidence of mortality was higher in patients over three months of age undergoing repair of isolated VSD; the data suggest that the mortality may be decreased in patients with severe PH who were operated on earlier in life. We conclude that in infants with severe PH, early surgical repair (less than three months) of isolated VSDs is strongly advised to achieve more favorable results. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12073 (J Card Surg 2013;28:174–179)