While atrial septal defect is a common associated feature of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, atrial septum reportedly remains intact in the incidences ranging from 2.2 to 26.0%. We have experienced four cases of isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous return without other cardiac anomalies including atrial septal defect. Entire right pulmonary veins returned to right atria in two of the cases. Remaining two cases were extremely rare in type. In one of those, right and left upper pulmonary veins returned to superior vena cava and left innominate vein, respectively, and entire left pulmonary veins returned to left innominate vein in the other. Three of the cases underwent complete correction with excellent results.

The objective of this study was to investigate the edema suppresive effect of single-dose crystalloid cardioplegia against immature myocardium. 50 puppies (3-21-day-old) were separated into 4 groups by the method of myocardial preservation, group A: preservation at 30°C, group B: topical cooling used only, group C: topical cooling with cardioplegia (St. Thomas Hospital solution: 4°C, pH 7.8, 350 mOsm/l), group D: topical cooling with oxygenated cardioplegia, and gravimetric water content of myocardium (%) was measured at control, 5, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min after aortic clamp. All hearts had elevated myocardial water content with linear change pattern, although which in groups A and B was consecutively increased while which in groups C and D was increased immediately after aortic clamp followed by slow increase thereafter. Increase of myocardial water content from 5 min after aortic clamp in group B at 90 min was significantly higher (p<0.01) than those in groups C and D, at 180 min that in group A was higher than that in group C and that in group B was higher than those in groups C and D (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). This study has shown that evolution of myocardial edema was suppressed by the administration of cardioplegia, while myocardial water content was seemingly higher because coronary vascular dilatation resulted in increase of intravascular water. We could not find the effect of the topical cooling only or oxygenated cardioplegia.

Recently, the demand for better cosmetic outcomes in pediatric cardiovascular operations has been growing. Between May 1998 and April 1999, six children aged 2 to 6 years with an ostium secundum type of atrial septal defect underwent reparative operations that used an approach consisting of a lower mid-line skin incision with full sternotomy. A 4.2-5.8cm vertical skin incision (mean, 4.9±0.3cm) was made between the level of the nipple and the xyphoid process. Comparison between this series and a group of weight-matched patients who underwent conventional operations revealed no significant differences in operation time (166.0±12.0vs. 147±8.4min), cardiopulmonary bypass time (33.2±4.0vs. 32.2±2.4min), aortic cross-clamp time (13.8±2.3vs. 12.3±1.3min), or the reduction in the hemoglobin concentration in blood on the first postoperative day (1.7±0.3vs. 2.9±0.6g/dl). The surgical wound was not associated with any complications in our series, including wound infection or subcutaneous hematoma. Our technique appears to be safe and provide satisfactory cosmetic outcome.

Sixteen patients with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CTGA) underwent operative closure of ventricular septal defects (VSD). Ages of the patients ranged from 10 months to 25 years. Three different approaches were employed to access to the defect: through right ventriculotomy 3, through left ventriculotomy 5, and de Leval's maneuver 8. Here, right or left ventricle refers to its anatomic morphology. Early postoperative death occurred in a patient who concomitantly underwent extracardiac couduit repair between left ventricle and pulmonary trunk. Late death occourred in 5 (left ventriculotomy in 1 and righ ventriculotomy in 4), among whom 2 expired suddenly of unknown cause (one in each of the right and left ventriculotomy), and 1 expired of pneumonia. Two other deaths were related to their reoperations for replacement of the incompetent left atrioventricular (AV) valve. Another patient who had been repaired by de Leval's maneuver also underwent replacement of the left AV valve and survived. Two patients who had undergone left ventriculotomy developed com-plete heart block leading to implantation of permanent pacemaker. Postoperative complete heart block was temporarily noted in a patient who had been repaired by de Leval's maneuver but returned to sinus rhythm on the 10th postoperative day. Late postoperative function of the systemic ventricle was assessed in 8 by gated radionuclide ventriculography. Calculated ejection fractions in each of the methods were the followings. Left ventriculotomy: 0.38, 0.47. Right ventriculotomy: 0.13. de Leval's maneuver: 0.29, 0.54, 0.66, 0.47, 0.36. These results draw us to the following conclusions that either ventriculotomy holds its drawbacks, that is, left ventriculotomy is apt to develop complete heart block and right ventriculotomy can predispose incompetent left AV valve ultimately leading to the fatal congestive heart failure. de Leval's maneuver, however, is rare to be complicated by the above morbidity and is considered to be the best operative method currently available.

Here we present a long-term follow-up of 50 operative survivors, who underwent surgery between December 1975 and March 1994 for the placement of an extracardiac conduit. Twenty-six patients received conduits with various valves (VC group). The valves used were the Hancock valve in 9 patients, the St. Jude Medical valve in 5, and a valved roll made of equine pericardium in 10. Twenty-four patients received valveless Dacron conduits (NVC group). Another group of patients, also with discontinuity between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery, who were operated on without the use of a conduit, is presented here for comparison (NCR group: 16 patients). The follow-up period for the NCR group was shorter than for the other groups. There were a total of 4 late deaths in the conduit groups, and none in the NCR group. Freedom from reoperation due to conduit stenosis was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. In the VC group, freedom from reoperation at 5, 10, and 15 years, was 87.8%, 50.8%, and 31.2% respectively. In the NVC group, freedom from reoperation at 5, 10, and 15 years was 100%, 95.7%, and 60.4%. There were statistically significant differences between the values in these 2 groups. In the NCR group, only one patient (6.25%) underwent reoperation due to stenosis in the right ventricular outflow tract. Although the rate of freedom from reoperation was lower in the valveless conduit group than in the valved conduit group, the majority of patients who receive a conduit between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery will eventually require reoperation. Avoiding the use of an extracardiac conduit, and creating continuity between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery with autologous tissue is a useful alternative and may reduce the need for reoperation.