Atrioventricular Septal Defects: Lessons Learned About Patterns of Practice and Outcomes From the Congenital Heart Surgery Database of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons

During the 4-year time interval of 2005 through 2008, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database documented data about 2882 operations to repair atrioventricular (AV) canal defects: partial, 623 (21.5%); intermediate, 342 (11.8%);. complete, 1917 (66.3%). Mean age at complete repair (years) was as follows: partial, 6.1; intermediate, 2.9; complete, 0.6. Median age at complete repair (years) was as follows: partial, 2.6; intermediate, 0.9; complete, 0.4. Down syndrome was present in 1767 patients (61.1%). Debanding of the pulmonary artery was rarely performed: partial, 1 (0.2%); intermediate, 0 (0.0%); complete, 66 (3.4%). Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was rarely used: partial, 6 (1.0%); intermediate, 5 (1.5%); complete, 52 (2.7%). Discharge mortality was low: partial, 2 (0.3%); intermediate, 3 (0.9%); complete, 38 (2.0%). Atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker occurred but was uncommon: partial, 6 (1.0%); intermediate, 2 (0.6%); complete, 29 (1.5%). Unplanned reoperation prior to hospital discharge occurred in 3.9% of complete AV canal repairs. The sternum was left open in 3.0% of complete AV canal repairs. Postoperative cardiac arrest occurred in 1.9% of complete AV canal repairs. Mean postoperative length of stay (days) was as follows: partial, 5.2; intermediate, 7; complete, 13.1. Median postoperative length of stay (days) was as follows: partial, 4; intermediate, 4; complete, 7. This review of data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database allows for unique documentation of patterns of practice and outcomes. From this review, we learned that 98% to 99% of patients survive complete repair of AV canal and 96% to 97% survive complete repair of AV canal with no major complications.