Repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect between 2 and 3.5 kilograms: Defining the limits of safe repair

Repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect (cAVSD) is routinely performed at around 3 months of age with good results. However, some patients require earlier surgery due to heart failure or failure to thrive. It is uncertain whether cAVSD repair performed on patients ≤3.5 kg leads to increased mortality and reoperation on the left atrioventricular valve. All patients who underwent cAVSD repair from 1990 to 2019 at a single institution were included in the study. Data were obtained from retrospective review of medical records and correspondence with cardiologists. Of 456 patients, 12.9% (59/456) weighed ≤3.5 kg at time of repair. This group was younger (P 3.5 kg, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = .45). Repair of cAVSD in children ≤3.5 kg appears to be safe, with similar overall survival and freedom from reoperation compared with those >3.5 kg. These findings add further support to an approach of early complete repair in children with severe heart failure or failure to thrive. We demonstrated that patients ≤3.5 kg at the time of complete repair of cAVSD have similar outcomes to children >3.5 kg. cAVSD, Complete atrioventricular septal defect. [Display omitted]