Perioperative safety of Tibetan children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery and anesthesia in low-altitude area

To observe the clinical parameters and short-term prognosis of Tibetan high-altitude area children with congenital heart disease undergoing surgery and anaesthesia in low-altitude area, and to investigate the perioperative safety of the treatment. Methods: From January, 2016 to December, 2016, 14 children with congenital heart disease who underwent surgery were assigned into 2 groups (n=7 each): the high-altitude area group (X group, children from Tibetan Autonomous Region) and the low-altitude area group (H group, children from Hunan Province). Echocardiography data, perioperative hemodynamic changes, postoperative recovery, complication and perioperative serum N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were recorded. Results: There were no significant differences in cardiac structure and function between the 2 groups, while the incidence of pulmonary hypertension in the X group was significantly higher than that in the H group (P