The Commando procedure for pediatric patients: A case series.

OBJECTIVE

The Commando procedure involves division of the intervalvular fibrous body, mitral valve replacement, and aortic valve replacement. It is considered a technically challenging procedure and traditionally has had high mortality.

METHODS

Five pediatric patients with combined left ventricular inflow and outflow obstruction were included in this study.

RESULTS

There were no early or late deaths during follow-up, and no pacemakers were implanted. None of the patients required reoperation during follow-up, and none developed a clinically significant gradient across the mitral valve or aortic valve.

CONCLUSIONS

The risks of this operation for patients with congenital heart disease undergoing multiple redo operations should be weighed against the benefits of normal-size mitral and aortic annular diameters and dramatically improved hemodynamics.