Objective: To summarize the clinical experience and short-term outcome of minimally invasive occlusion in patients with peri-membranous ventricular septal defect (PmVSD) via right subaxillary route under trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance.
Methods: A total of 122 PmVSD patients treated in our hospital from 2014-01 to 2015-07 were summarized. There were 54 male and 68 female with the mean age of (2.7±2.2, 0.5-9.7) years, mean body weight of (13.9±6.0, 6.1-38.0) kg and mean PmVSD diameter of (3.8±0.8, 2.5-7.0) mm. The patients were taken left lateral position, a (2-3) cm incision was performed along right mid-axillary line between the 3rd rib and 4th rib, the thoracic entrance was at 4th inter-costal space. A purse-string suture was conducted on right atrial surface, a special hollow probe was inserted into right atrium and crossed tricuspid into right ventricle under TEE guidance; the probe was adjusted to the point or crossed VSD into left ventricle followed by guide wire insertion to establish a deliver pathway, and ifnally, occlusion device was regularly deployed to close the defect. Post-operative ECG, TEE and chest X-ray were conducted for followed-up study.
Results: There were 119/122 (98.4%) patients occluded successfully and 3 failed patients were converted to cardiopulmonary bypass surgery at the original incision. The average size of occluder was (4.9±1.1, 4-10) mm and all devices were concentric. The patients were followed up at the mean of (8.3±5.0, 1.0-19.8) months, during that period, 12/119 (10.1%) had new mild tricuspid regurgitation, 16 (13.4%) suffered from incomplete right bundle branch block, 4 (3.4%) had small residual shunt and 2 of them were self-closed at 1 and 3 months after operation respectively. There were no complete atrio-ventricular block, no new aortic valve regurgitation and no device dislocation.
Conclusion: Minimally invasive occlusion of PmVSD via right subaxillary route under TEE guidance was a safe, effective, feasible and better cosmetic method for treating relevant patients; while its long-term outcome should be further observed.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and safety of surgical device closure of doubly committed sub-arterial ventricular septal defect via left sub-axillary.Methods A total of 45 patients diagnosed as doubly committed sub-arterial ventricular septal defect (dcVSD) with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) were enrolled from June 2014 to August 2016 in Henan Children Heart Center,Henan Provincial People's Hospital.There were 39 males and 6 females,with the mean age of (2.2 ±2.1) years old(0.5-8.0 years),the body weight (13.8 ± 7.1) kg(7.0-34.1 kg),the defect size (4.5 ± 1.0) mm (3.0-8.0 mm).After general anesthesia,the patients were in supine and evaluated by TEE which indicated whether they were fit to closure.Then,they were turned to the right lateral position while this technique was determined.A vertical incision of 2-3 cm was made between the third and the fifth intercostal space and invasion in thoracic space via fourth intercostal space.Puncture was done at the anterior surface of right ventricular outlet tract to build a delivery tract.The occluder was released and the VSD was occluded under transesophageal echocardiography guidance.Results Forty-one patients had a successful surgical dcVSD closure with asymmetric occluders sized (6.0 ± 1.5) mm(4-10 mm).Among 4 failure cases,2 cases (4.4％) were switched to open-heart surgical repair,1 case (2.2％) due to device related aortic regurgitation,the rest 1 case (2.2％) experienced a dislocation of occluder into pulmonary artery and was converted to surgical repair after retrieve of occluder.Trivial residual shunt was detected in 2 cases (4.4％) postoperatively,a spontaneous closure was observed by 1 month follow-up and 3 months follow-ups,respectively.All the patients were discharged 5 to 8 days after the operation.With a follow-up of (10.4 ±5.0) months [3-24 months],there were no complications such as pericardial effusion,displacement of device,atrioventricular block or new valvular dysfunction.Conclusions Minimally invasive device closure of doubly committed sub-arterial ventricular septal defect via left sub-axillary is a feasible and safe treatment for closure of dcVSD.This technique has advantages of minor wound,less exudation,covert incision,however,long term follow-up is necessary.

Objective To investigate the perioperative nursing Methods of minimally invasive occlusion technique via the right subaxillary route for perimembranous ventricular septal defect in children.Methods A total of 119 patients, who were successfully undergoing minimally invasive occlusion via the right subaxillary route for perimembranous ventricular septal defect from June 2013 to June 2016, were divided into inferior position group (82 cases, adjacent to inflow tract) and superior position group (37 cases, adjacent to outflow tract) according to location of perimembranous ventricular septal defect. Postoperatively complications in patients were compared between two groups. Patients with complications were given individually nursing interventions. Results There were 2 patients from superior position group with occluders displacement post operation. The difference was statistically significant between two groups (P<0.05). A total of 5 patients had extensive subcutaneous emphysema in right chest, 3 patients of which were from inferior position group and other 2 patients were from superior position group. There were 2 patients who had moderate pleural effusion with one for each group respectively. A number of 2 patients was found auscultation of cardiac murmur and one per each group. There was no difference between two groups in the rate of above complications. Occluder was extracted and surgical repair was perfomed in the children with occluders displaccment. Patients with complications were treated in time and then were cured and discharged. Follow-up for all patients ranged from 6.1 months to 24.9 months (13.4±5.0). There was no malignant arrhythmia, device dislocation, hemorrhage, thrombogenesis or other complications.Conclusions The cognition of characteristic of different position in perioperative perimembranous ventricular septal defect occlusion and targeted nursing measures are the key points to avoid lethal complications after surgery for patients and assure the safety of children.

Background::Due to the wide variety of morphology, size, and dynamics, selecting an optimal valve size and location poses great difficulty in percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI). This study aimed to report our experience with in vitro bench testing using patient-specific three-dimensional (3D)-printed models for planning PPVI with the Venus P-valve. Methods::Patient-specific 3D soft models were generated using PolyJet printing with a compliant synthetic material in 15 patients scheduled to undergo PPVI between July 2018 and July 2020 in Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University.Results::3D model bench testing altered treatment strategy in all patients (100%). One patient was referred for surgery because testing revealed that even the largest Venus P-valve would not anchor properly. In the remaining 14 patients, valve size and/or implantation location was altered to avoid valve migration and/or compression coronary artery. In four patients, it was decided to change the point anchoring because of inverted cone-shaped right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) ( n = 2) or risk of compression coronary artery ( n = 2). Concerning sizing, we found that an oversize of 2-5 mm suffices. Anchoring of the valve was dictated by the flaring of the in- and outflow portion in the pulmonary artery. PPVI was successful in all 14 patients (absence of valve migration, no coronary compression, and none-to-mild residual pulmonary regurgitation [PR]). The diameter of the Venus P-valve in the 3D simulation group was significantly smaller than that of the conventional planning group (36 [2] vs. 32 [4], Z = -3.77, P <0.001). Conclusions::In vitro testing indicated no need to oversize the Venus P-valve to the degree recommended by the balloon-sizing technique, as 2-5 mm sufficed.

Objective To summarize the outcomes and the median follow －up finding of stage 1 surgical approaches of coarctation of aorta(CoA)combined with cardiac anomalies.Methods A retrospective study was per-formed for summarizing the operative and follow－up finding of 82 patients(40 males and 42 females)of CoA combined with cardiac anomalies,who underwent stage 1 repair from February 2013 to December 2016 at the Department of Cardio-vascular Surgery,Henan Provincial People's Hospital.The operative age was ranged from 1 month to 8 years old[mean (11.92 ± 22. 51)months]and the weight was (7.31 ± 6.79)kg. Forty －five cases had ventricular septal defect (VSD)or atrial septal defect (ASD).Septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus were found in 31 patients.CoA was associated with aortic arch hypoplasia in 5 patients.Complex cardiovascular deformity was found in 7 cases.The surgical methods included end－to－end anastomosis,end－to－side anastomosis and patch augmentation of the coarctation seg-ment.Results Seven patients died after operation,3 cases of them died of low cardiac output syndrome amd circulatory failure,1 case died of circulatory failure and respiratory failure,1 patient died of malignant arrhythmia,and 2 cases died of respiratory failure.Postoperative echocardiogram suggested that anastomosis maintained patency in all the patients. The follow－up time was 8 months to 4 years,63 patients were followed up,and follow－up rate was 77%.No death or aneurysm occurred during follow－up period.Recoarctation was found in 5 cases.Conclusions Stage 1 repair for CoA combined with cardiac anomalies is effective,and has low complications during postoperative and median follow－up period.Long－term results need further study.

Objective:To evaluate the medium-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) using a domestic Venus-P self-expanding valve in the treatment of severe pulmonary regurgitation after Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).Methods:Retrospective study.From December 2017 to December 2020, 13 TOF patients with (17.8±4.7) years old and (50.2±12.3) kg underwent PPVI using the Venus-P self-expanding valve in the Department of Children′s Heart Center, Zhengzhou University People′s Hospital were recruited.The mean valve size was (31.9±3.1) mm.All patients received the transannular patch surgery and developed severe pulmonary regurgitation.After PPVI, 13 patients were followed up for at least 12 months.The operation-related complications, improvement of valve and heart function and the durability and reintervention of the Venus-P self-expanding valve were analyzed.The right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVi) before and after operation was compared by the paired t-test, and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class was compared by the paired Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. Results:PPVI was successfully performed in all 13 patients without death.At 6 months post-PPVI, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings showed that RVEDVi was significantly reduced[(145.7±9.6) mL/m 2vs.(100.2±12.2) mL/m 2, P<0.05], and the NYHA class was significantly improved ( P<0.05). One patient presented moderate pulmonary valve regurgitation at 12 months postoperatively.No vegetation was found on echocardiography, and blood culture was negative in this case.Six patients did not have postoperative pulmonary valve regurgitation, and the remaining presented mild or less pulmonary regurgitation.One patient had sudden ventricular tachycardia on the 6 th day postoperatively, which was converted to sinus rhythm after synchronous electrocardiography.Only one case underwent appendectomy 7 months after operation due to acute appendicitis, and the remaining did not require valve-related reintervention after implantation.During the follow-up for (22.8±8.0) months, no patients had perivalve leakage, stent migration and rupture.Complications like embolization and coronary artery compression were not reported. Conclusions:PPVI using the Venus-P self-expanding valve is safe and effective in patients with severe pulmonary valve regurgitation after TOF surgery, showing an acceptable medium-term follow-up outcome.Studies with a large sample size and long follow-up period are still needed to validate our findings.

Objective:To analyze the short and mid-term efficacy of aortic valvuloplasty with autopericardium on children with aortic valve diseases.Methods:A total of 26 children with aortic valve diseases (stenosis or regurgitation) who underwent aortic valvuloplasty with autopericardium in Fuwai Central China Cardiovascular Hospital from September 2017 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The short-term and mid-term follow-up data were collected.The maximum aortic valve pressure gradient, subaortic regurgitation area, left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were compared before and after operation.Paired t test was used to analyze the short-term and mid-term efficacy of aortic valvuloplasty with autopericardium on children with aortic valve diseases. Results:All 26 cases were successfully operated, and there were no deaths and serious complications during the follow-up period of (22.96±6.45) months.There was a significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative maximum aortic valve pressure gradient at 1 month ( t=7.85, P<0.05), 6 months ( t=6.43, P<0.05), 1 year ( t=6.16, P<0.05) and 2 years postoperatively ( t=4.22, P<0.05) in children with aortic stenosis or that combined with mild-to-moderate closure.The follow-up data of 9 children with simple aortic stenosis showed that there was a significant difference between the preoperative (8.87±3.57) cm 2 and postoperative aortic regurgitation area at 1 month ( t=6.85, P<0.05), 6 months ( t=5.13, P<0.05), 1 year ( t=6.62, P<0.05) and 2 years postoperatively ( t=5.41, P<0.05). The LVEDV of 26 children was significantly lower at 6 months[(63.54±27.61) mL], 1 year [(53.61±20.20) mL] and 2 years postoperatively [(64.39±17.78) mL] compared with that of preoperative level[(89.42±45.89) mL]( t=3.89, 4.67, 3.58, all P<0.05). The left ventricular pressure and volume decreased, the enlarged heart was narrowed down, and the geometry of the heart was restored.The LVEF of 26 patients also from (61.65±9.67)% before surgery increased to (67.88±4.69)% 6 months after surgery( t=3.68, P<0.05), and increased to (68.62±4.46)% 1 year after surgery( t=4.01, P<0.05), and increased to (67.55±3.09)% 2 years after operation( t=3.01, P<0.05), and the heart function was improved. Conclusions:Aortic valvuloplasty with autopericardium presents an effective short and mid-term efficacy on children with aortic valve diseases, which prevents or delays the aortic valve replacement.

Objective:Rejection remains the most important factor limiting the survival of transplanted kidneys.Although a pathological biopsy of the transplanted kidney is the gold standard for diagnosing rejection,its limitations prevent it from being used as a routine monitoring method.Recently,peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulation testing has become an important means of assessing the body's immune system,however,its application value and strategy in the field of kidney transplantation need further exploration.Additionally,the development and utilization of routine test parameters are also important methods for exploring diagnostic strategies and predictive models for kidney transplant diseases.This study aims to explore the correlation between peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and T cell-mediated rejection(TCMR)and antibody-mediated rejection(ABMR),as well as their diagnostic value,in conjunction with routine blood tests. Methods:A total of 154 kidney transplant recipients,who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were treated at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January to December,2021,were selected as the study subjects.They were assigned into a stable group,a TCMR group,and an ABMR group,based on the occurrence and type of rejection.The basic and clinical data of these recipients were retrospectively analyzed and compared among the 3 groups.The transplant kidney function,routine blood tests,and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulation data of the TCMR group and the ABMR group before rejection treatment were compared with those of the stable group. Results:The stable,TCMR group,and ABMR group showed no statistically significant differences in immunosuppressive maintenance regimens or sources of transplanted kidneys(all P>0.05).However,the post-transplant duration was significantly longer in the ABMR group compared with the stable group(P<0.001)and the TCMR group(P<0.05).Regarding kidney function,serum creatinine levels in the ABMR group were higher than in the stable group and the TCMR group(both P<0.01),with the TCMR group also showing higher levels than the stable group(P<0.01).Both TCMR and ABMR groups had significantly higher blood urea nitrogen levels than the stable group(P<0.01),with no statistically significant difference between TCMR and ABMR groups(P>0.05).The estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was lower in both TCMR and ABMR groups compared with the stable group(both P<0.01).In routine blood tests,the ABMR group had lower hemoglobin,red blood cell count,and platelet count than the stable group(all P<0.05).The TCMR group had higher neutrophil percentage(P<0.05)and count(P<0.05)than the stable group,and the ABMR group had a higher neutrophil percentage than the stable group(P<0.05).The eosinophil percentage and count in the TCMR group were lower than in the stable and ABMR groups(all P<0.05).Both TCMR and ABMR groups had lower basophil percentage and count,as well as lower lymphocyte percentage and count,compared with the stable group(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences in monocyte percentage and count among the 3 groups(all P>0.05).In lymphocyte subpopulations,the TCMR and ABMR groups had lower counts of CD45+cells and T cells compared with the stable group(all P<0.05).The TCMR group also had lower counts of CD4+T cells,NK cells,and B cells than the stable group(all P<0.05).There were no significant differences in the T cell percentage,CD4+T cell percentage,CD8+T cell percentage and their counts,CD4+/CD8+T cell ratio,NK cell percentage,and B cell percentage among the stable,TCMR,and ABMR groups(all P>0.05). Conclusion:The occurrence of rejection leads to impaired transplant kidney function,accompanied by characteristic changes in some parameters of routine blood tests and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in kidney transplant recipients.The different characteristics of changes in some parameters of routine blood tests and peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations during TCMR and ABMR may help predict and diagnose rejection and differentiate between TCMR and ABMR.

Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a congenital heart disease that causes blood communication between the left and right ventricles due to partial atrial septal tissue defects, accounting for about 13% of all heart malformations. Secondary ASD is the most common type of ASD and can generally be treated with minimally invasive closure. At present, the commonly used minimally invasive methods in clinical practice mainly include X-ray-guided percutaneous occlusion, transesophageal ultrasound-guided transthoracic occlusion and ultrasound-guided percutaneous occlusion. This review focuses on the basic research process of occluder materials, and advantages and disadvantages of three different surgical methods.