OBJECTIVETo review the experience of left ventricular assistance device (LVAD) using for anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) in perioperative period.

METHODSThere were 29 patients with ALCAPA underwent surgical repair from May 2006 to May 2013. The mean age was 6.5 months (ranging from 3.3 to 12.1 months). The mean weight was 6.2 kg (ranging from 4.1 to 9.5 kg). Diagnosis was established by echocardiography in all patients. There were clinical symptomatic of the severe heart dysfunction and ejection fraction were 23% to 45%. Mitral insufficiency was moderate to severe in 8 patients and less than moderate in others. Surgical methods included the intrapulmonary tunnel (Takeuchi procedure) of 4 cases, direct reimplantation of the left coronary artery onto the aorta of 6 cases and reimplantation by pericardiac patch enlarge of 19 cases. Valvuloplasty were performed in 5 patients with mitral severe insufficiency. Twenty-two patients were treated only by medicine therapy. LVAD was used in 7 patients: there were 3 patients with low blood pressure at the end of surgical repair and 4 patients with low cardio output within 24 hours postoperatively.

RESULTSPostoperatively, transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated that blood flow of the left coronary artery is fluently but left ventricular is also largement. The hemodynamic of 18 patients was stable in medicine group but 3 patients were sudden died of low cardiao output and ventricular fibrillation respectively. One patient was died of diffuse intravascular coagulation at the time of 72 hours after operation. The hemodynamic was stable in 6 patients in LVAD group and the devices after using time from 72 to 108 hours was taken down except one patient died of multi-organ dysfunction. The hospital mortality was 5/29 (17.2%). Nineteen survival (19/24) was followed up of 3.5 years (ranging from 1 to 7 years). Reoperations was performed for one patient with the supravalvar pulmonary stenosis due to the Takeuchi procedure 4 years postoperatively. Echocardiographic demonstrated that the blood flow of the left coronary artery are fluently. Mitral insufficiency was moderate in 2 cases, mild to moderate in 9 cases and mild in 8 cases. The ejection fraction value were 43% to 55% and apparent arrhythmia didn't occur.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough late results are satisfactory and left ventricular function always recovery, early mortality is higher even though the protective methods are carried out during the whole cardiopulmonary bypass procedure. In order to decrease the early mortality, heart function evaluation and LVAD should be used as an effective cardiac support technique to prevent heart failure in time.