The effect of right ventricular restrictive physiology on exercise capacity and arrhythmogenesis after correction of tetralogy of Fallot was assessed in 80 patients aged 7.9 +/- 3.6 years. Right ventricular restrictive physiology was defined as the presence of an A wave across the pulmonary artery on 2-dimensional echocardiography. At the 6 month follow-up, 52 patients had restrictive physiology (group 1). A transannular patch was used in 36 patients in group 1 (62%) and in 19 (86%) of the 28 patients without restrictive physiology (group 2). Maximum heart rate attained (69% vs. 77%), maximum predicted heart rate (211 +/- 12.6 vs. 226 +/- 24.2 beats x min(-1)), and metabolic equivalents (7.6 +/- 3.2 vs. 8.1 +/- 2.6) were higher in group 2, but not significantly. The chronotropic index was similar in both groups. In group 1, 14% of patients presented with ventricular premature complexes at 6 months. No effect on exercise capacity and arrhythmogenesis could be attributed to restrictive physiology, but both groups had chronotropic incompetence compared to normal children.

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Background Surgical pulmonary embolectomy (SPE) has been around since the early days of cardiac surgery. But with the increase in thrombolytic and intervention options, indications of SPE have been limited. Literature suggests that risk stratification has been a key step in getting good results. We are analyzing serum lactate levels for risk stratification in massive and submassive pulmonary embolism (PE). Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of 82 cases that underwent SPE between January 1997 and January 2020. Patients were divided into two groups stratified by venous serum lactate levels on the first admission (Group I: normolactatemia <2 mmol/L, Group II: hyperlactatemia, >2 mmol/L). Primary endpoints were all‐cause in‐hospital mortality and secondary endpoints were cardiopulmonary bypass time, extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) insertion, low cardiac output, blood product use, and right ventricular functions in the follow‐up. Results Our study had an overall follow‐up of 23 years with a median of 3.18 years. Overall, the in‐hospital mortality rate was 8.54%. Group II had a higher mortality rate (P = .015) and morbidity incidences like cardiopulmonary bypass time (P = .008), ECMO insertion (P = .036), and open chest after surgery (P = .015). Although 5‐year survival was better in group I a compared to group II (81%, 95% CI, 69%‐93% vs 65%, 95% CI, 46%‐84%), the log rank test showed no statistical survival difference among both groups on long‐term follow‐up. Conclusions Long term survival after SPE is good and these results can further be improved by proper PE risk stratification. Alongside computed tomography and echocardiography, the importance of biomarkers like serum lactate can be explored in the PE management algorithm.

This study was carried out to assess the outcome in patients who had aortic valve replacement compared to those who underwent aortic valve repair for aortic regurgitation associated with a ventricular septal defect. Of 300 patients undergoing ventricular septal defect closure between May 1990 and December 2003, 36 (12%) had moderate to severe aortic regurgitation; 7 underwent concomitant aortic valve repair and 29 had aortic valve replacement. The mean age of these 36 patients was 17.72 +/- 6.84 years, and 69% were male. Follow-up was 8.20 +/- 4.97 years in the valve replacement group and 4.1 +/- 0.8 years in the valve repair group. The freedom from re-operation after valve repair was 76% after 4 years. After one year of follow-up in 35 patients, 27 were in New York Heart Association class I (77%) and 8 were in class II (23%). After 8 years, 12/21 (57%) patients were in class I, 5 (24%) in class II, and 2 (10%) in class III. Of 22 patients who had a dilated left ventricle, 15 regained normal left ventricular function and volume. Valve repair is preferred, but increasing age makes valve replacement a better alternative.