Clinical outcomes of prophylactic Damus-Kaye-Stansel anastomosis concomitant with bidirectional Glenn procedure

Objective: We evaluated prophylactic Damus-Kaye-Stansel (DKS) anastomosis in association with the timing of a bidirectional Glenn (BDG) procedure as second-stage palliation aiming at Fontan completion to prevent late systemic ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Methods: Between 1996 and 2005, 25 patients (14 boys; median age, 12 months) underwent a BDG procedure concomitant with DKS anastomosis. All had a systemic ventricular outflow tract through an intraventricular communication or morphologically developed subaortic conus and had previously undergone pulmonary artery banding. Enlargement of intraventricular communication and/or resection of a subaortic conus were not performed before or during the operation.

Results: Twenty-one (84%) patients subsequently underwent a Fontan operation, with a follow-up period of 6.8 ± 1.9 years (range, 4-11 years), with no mortalities after the Fontan operation. Cardiac catheterization showed that systemic ventricular end-diastolic volume was significantly decreased from 187% ± 74% of normal before BDG to 139% ± 35% after (P = .038) and to 73% ± 14% at 4.3 years after the Fontan operation (P < .001). However, the pressure gradient across the systemic ventricular outflow tract remained at 0.5 ± 0.8 mm Hg after DKS anastomosis and 0.6 ± 2.3 mm Hg at 4.6 years after the Fontan operation. None of the patients showed more than moderate aortic or neoaortic regurgitation, except 1 who progressed to pulmonary regurgitation after DKS anastomosis and required a reoperation for a systemic ventricular outflow tract. No anatomic properties affected late neoaortic valve function.

Conclusions: Regardless of a significant reduction in systemic ventricular volume, DKS anastomosis concomitant with a BDG procedure shows promise for a nonobstructive systemic ventricular outflow tract after a Fontan operation.