Pulmonary Artery and Conduit Reintervention Rates After Norwood Using a Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit

Background There is a high incidence of cardiovascular reinterventions in patients undergoing a Norwood procedure (NP). The goal of this study was to analyze the rate of pulmonary artery (PA) and conduit stenosis using the right ventricle (RV)-to-PA modification of the NP. Methods Patients who underwent a NP January 2005 to December 2009 were included. The procedure was performed with a ringed conduit sutured to a membrane to form a patch. The patch was sutured to the PA confluence, and the spatulated conduit was anastomosed to an appropriately sized right ventriculotomy. Rates of PA and conduit stenosis requiring reintervention were calculated based on cardiac catheterization data. Results Thirty-three patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome underwent a NP. Perioperative mortality was 6% (2 of 33). Twenty-eight patients (85%) had a Glenn procedure 5 ± 1 months later, and 12 patients (36%) had a Fontan procedure 34 ± 2 months after the Glenn. Pulmonary artery stenosis occurred in 11 patients (33%), and RV-PA conduit stenosis occurred only in 2 patients (6%). One-year and 3-year actuarial survival rates were 82% and 77%, respectively. Both branch PAs showed good and symmetric growth at cardiac catheterization before Glenn. Conclusions The NP with RV-PA conduit using a ringed graft and a pulmonary patch is a technique associated with a low rate of PA and conduit stenosis, and good outcomes.