Transesophageal echocardiography during pectus excavatum correction in children: What happens to the heart?

OBJECTIVES

Cardiac compression in pectus excavatum remains difficult to evaluate. We describe the findings with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during pectus excavatum correction in pediatric patients.

METHODS

We studied right heart changes during surgical correction of pectus excavatum by transesophageal echocardiograph. Four-D echo was associated to assess morphology of the tricuspid annulus.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were included, mean age 13.5 (+/- 2.9). Mean preoperative Haller Index was 6.3 (+/- 2.63) and mean Correction Index 47.63% (+/- 12.4%). Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography at rest showed mild right heart compression in 6. Correction was gained by Nuss technique in 19, and Taulinoplasty in one. Initial transesophageal echocardiography showed compression of the right heart and deformation of the tricuspid annulus in all. During the sternal elevation, diameters of right atrium, ventricle and tricuspid annulus significantly improved: mean augmentation of right ventricle was 5.78 mm (+/- 3.56 p < 0.05), right atrium 6.64 mm (+/- 5.55 p < 0.05) and tricuspid annulus 6.02 mm (+/- 3.29 p < 0.05). The morphology of the tricuspid annulus in 4D normalized.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography at rest underestimates right chamber compression in pediatric patients with pectus excavatum. Surgical correction improves diameters of the right ventricle, right atrium and tricuspid annulus and normalizes the morphology of the tricuspid annulus (4D).

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.