Subclavian flap repair: review of 399 patients at median follow-up of fourteen years.

BACKGROUND

Conflicting results have been obtained for the same operation for repair of coarctation of the aorta by different institutes. The purpose of this study was to assess the results of subclavian flap aortoplasty (SFA) alone, performed on 399 patients in a single institute between 1966 and 1995.

METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively from the congenital cardiac surgical database at the institute.

RESULTS

The median age at operation was 22 days (3 days-49 months). One hundred thirty-four patients had isolated coarctation while 265 children had complex coarctation. Maximum follow-up was 24 years (median, 14 years). Overall mortality over the whole duration of follow-up was 24.8%. Mortality for isolated coarctation at first intervention was 7.4% (operative mortality, 2.6%) while it was 12.8% for complex coarctation. At second intervention the mortality for isolated coarctation was 5%. For the second, third, and fourth interventions the mortality for complex coarctation was 25%, 25%, and 27%, respectively. The survival for isolated coarctation at 1, 5, 10, and 20 years was 94%, 93.2%, 92.4%, and 88.4%, respectively, while it was 74.6%, 66.3%, 63%, and 61.4%, respectively, for complex coarctation. Of the total patients, 15.3% had interventions for recoarctation. The incidence of recoarctation was 13.6% on those patients operated on in the first month of life, while it was 3.6% in older children. A percentage of 3.3% of patients continue to be hypertensive and require medication. There was a significant difference between the systolic blood pressure and anthropometric measurements between the arms. Despite this none of the patients complained of effect on lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite improved early results the long-term mortality for coarctation remains high. Mortality is higher for complex coarctation as compared with isolated procedures. The incidence of recoarctation after SFA at long term is acceptable and is higher in patients operated on in the first month of life. The overall incidence of hypertension is quite low. Patients remained normotensive when operated upon at the age of 0.9 months. The SFA, no doubt, effects the limb development; however it does not cause limitation in the lifestyle.