OBJECTIVEInfants are usually subjected to serious complications after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a modified ultrafiltration technique (MUF) on infants undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.

METHODSA total of 261 infants less than 1 year old with congenital heart disease and who required CPB were randomized into receive MUF during CPB (n=205) or not (n=56, control group). Bypass duration, aortic cross-clamp duration, postoperative blood effluents and transfusions, mechanical ventilation duration following operation, and hematocrit and oxygenation index 24 hrs postoperatively were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSNo ultrafiltration-related complication was found in the MUF group. There were no significant differences in the duration of bypass and aortic cross-clamp between the two groups. Postoperative blood effluents and transfusions in the MFU group were significantly reduced (79.5+/-18.6 mL vs 57.3+/-15.4 mL and 78.1+/-32.5 mL vs 67.9+/-25.6 mL respectively) compared with the control group (P<0.05). The duration of mechanical ventilation following operation in the MFU group was shorter than that in the control group (28.6 +/- 9.1 hrs vs 32.3 +/- 8.7 hrs; P<0.05). MUF produced a significant improvement in hematocrit (34.6 +/- 3.7 min vs 29.8+/-2.8 min; P<0.01) and oxygenation index (275.2+/-39.1 vs 202.2+/-25.6; P<0.01) 24 hrs postoperatively when compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONSMFU can reduce postoperative bleeding and blood transfusions, improve pulmonary function and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation in infants undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.