Truncal valve repair: initial experience in neonates.

BACKGROUND: The identification of moderate to severe preoperative truncal valve regurgitation has been synonymous with significant postoperative mortality after neonatal repair of truncus arteriosus. Spurned by the deficiencies of current truncal valve substitutes surgeons are once again reexamining the option of truncal valve reparative techniques.

METHODS: From May 1996 until June 1997, 8 children underwent correction of truncus arteriosus. A retrospective analysis was conducted.

RESULTS: There was one in-hospital death secondary to a postoperative massive coronary air embolism. Moderate-to-severe truncal valve regurgitation was identified clinically and confirmed with cardiac ultrasound in 3 neonates with a mean age of 7 days (range, 4 to 12 days) all with quadracusp truncal valves. Successful truncal valve repair was accomplished in 2 infants, with a third neonate requiring homograft replacement with coronary reimplantation for failure in achieving valvular competence after attempted valvuloplasty. Postoperative echocardiograms in those neonates who underwent truncal valve repair confirmed a functional "tricuspid" valve with only mild to mild-plus regurgitation.

CONCLUSIONS: We give further credence to the hypothesis that primary neonatal truncal valve repair is feasible and may be successful in the avoidance and delay of serial truncal valve replacements using either mechanical or allograft substitutes.