Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a complex cardiac malformation with many anatomic variations and various approaches for surgical repair. DORV is mainly defined as the congenital heart disease with ventriculoarterial connection in which both pulmonary artery and aorta arising primarily (>50%) from the right ventricle, associated with continuity or discontinuity between the aorta and mitral valve. DORV can be subclassified by various ways. Now subclassification is usually performed according to the relationship between the ventricular septal defect (VSD) and the great arteries. Various approaches for surgical repair of DORV ranging from single ventricle palliation to biventricular repair are reported from many centers. However, the high-grade guideline of surgical management of DORV is still absent. Hence, we developed the Chinese expert consensus on DORV as the evidence for surgical strategies.
ObjectiveTo explore the appropriate method of biventricular repair and analyze the risk factors for reoperation, by summarizing the 15-year treatment experience of biventricular repair for double outlet right ventricle with non-committed ventricular septal defect (DORVncVSD).MethodsClinical data of 162 consecutive patients with DORVncVSD who had biventricular repair from 2005 to 2019 in our center were retrospectively analyzed. The children were divided into two groups according to the path of intracardiac tunnel: 110 patients with ventricular septal defect rerouted to the aorta were recruited into a group A (75 males and 35 females aged 3.6±3.2 years); 52 patients with ventricular septal defect rerouted to the pulmonary artery were into a group B (30 males and 22 females aged 2.8±2.7 years). In order to establish a smooth intracardiac tunnel, enlargement of VSD, the resection of conus muscle and the transfer of tricuspid tendon or papillary muscle, etc were performed at the same time.ResultsIn the patients with biventricular repair, there were 9 (5.6%) early deaths and 6 (3.7%) early intracardiac baffle obstructions. During the follow-up of 7.5±7.0 years, and 8 (4.9%) late deaths occurred. The 1-year, 5-year, 10-year and 15-year survival rates of the group A were 92.7%, 91.1%, 91.1%, 85.4%, respectively and those of the group B were 92.2%, 85.2%, 85.2%, 85.2%, respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.560). The follow-up results showed that 10 (6.2%) patients had late-onset intracardiac tunnel obstruction, and 8 patients underwent reoperation. There were more late-onset intracardiac tunnel obstruction patients and overall intracardiac tunnel obstruction patients in the group A than those in the group B (9 patients vs. 1 patient, P=0.017; 15 patients vs. 1 patient, P=0.001). No significant difference of early mortality and late mortality was noted for the group A (P=0.386) and the group B (P=0.223). Also it was noted that performing tricuspid valve operation at the same time in the group A had a significant impact to reduce the occurrence rate of intracardiac obstruction (1/46 vs. 15/64, P=0.004), without any tricuspid regurgitation or stenosis. The reoperation rate of patients with Rastelli after right ventricular outflow tract lesions was significantly higher than that of REV surgery and double root replacement surgery (5/14 vs. 0/38, P<0.001).ConclusionThe effect of biventricular repair for DORVncVSD is satisfactory. And concomitant tricuspid procedures can help reduce the occurrence of intracardiac obstructions. Reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract with biological valved conduit is a risk factor for reoperation.