Background: Many centers have adopted balloon valvuloplasty for treatment of infants with critical aortic stenosis because of historically poor early results and a lack of long-term results with surgical valvotomy. We evaluated our results with open aortic valvotomy over the past decade, specifically examining factors influencing survival and reintervention in the current era.
Methods: From 1986 to 1996, 37 infants in the first 3 months of life underwent open aortic valvotomy for critical aortic stenosis. All patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass, valvotomy, and valve debridement under direct vision with standard techniques.
Results: Early mortality was 11% (4 of 37, 70% confidence limit 7% to 20%) and all early deaths were in neonates less than 2 weeks of age. Late death occurred in 6 patients a mean of 10 +/- 12 months (range, 2 to 36 months) after valvotomy. Actuarial survival, including operative deaths was 92% +/- 6% at 1 month, 78% +/- 9% at 1 year, and 73.4% +/- 10% at 10 years. In a multifactorial regression analysis, the best predictors of death were the presence of endocardial fibroelastosis and small body surface area and the best predictor of the need for late reintervention was preoperative aortic annular size. Thirteen patients required reintervention: repeat operation in 7 patients, balloon valvuloplasty in 3 patients, and both balloon valvuloplasty and reoperation in 3 patients. Actuarial freedom from reintervention postoperatively is 97% +/- 3% at 1 month, 73% +/- 9% at 1 year, and 55% +/- 11% at 10 years. Reintervention was for recurrent left ventricular outflow obstruction in 9 patients and mixed aortic stenosis and aortic insufficiency in 4. Echocardiography 4.3 +/- 2.5 years after aortic valvotomy in survivors who have not required reintervention (n = 20) revealed a Doppler peak instantaneous systolic gradient of 37 +/- 14 mm Hg and mild or less aortic regurgitation in 16 patients and moderate aortic regurgitation in 4 patients.
Conclusions: Current surgical results with critical aortic stenosis in the neonate and young infant are acceptable in terms of both late survival, reintervention, and functional results in the majority of patients. Newer interventions, such as balloon valvuloplasty, should be carefully evaluated for long-term results and should be compared more appropriately to current surgical results to determine the best treatment modality for the neonate and infant with critical aortic stenosis.