Single-Stage Repair of an Unusual Association

Abstract

We present the case of a two-month-old male with congenital Gerbode defect, hypoplastic aortic arch, and left-sided partially anomalous pulmonary venous return. The patient underwent single-stage surgical repair, which consisted of aortic arch advancement with resection of the coarctation segment, pulmonary vein repair, and primary closure of the Gerbode defect. The anomalous pulmonary vein posed a particular challenge due to its size and distance from the left atrium, which we approached with a posterior atrial wall trapdoor baffle technique, without mobilizing the affected vein. Postoperatively and at one year follow-up, there was no evidence of residual lesions and there was unobstructed flow pattern across the aortic arch and the affected pulmonary vein.

Congenital Gerbode Defect: A Left Ventricular to Right Atrial Shunt—State-of-the-Art Review of Its General Data, Diagnostic Modalities, and Treatment Strategies

“…Percutaneous catheter closure techniques had been increasingly used in acquired cases of the Gerbode defect as well as in high-risk surgical patients, but meanwhile, they are increasingly being applied [ 37 , 57 , 68 ]. Nevertheless, in the literature there even exists the view that every shunt should be corrected, regardless of its hemodynamic relevance and the severity of symptoms [ 7 , 9 , 12 , 23 ].…”