Mortality analysis of arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries with and without ventricular septal defect

OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the 90-day mortality and effect of rescue or urgent coronary revascularization in children undergoing arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries with and without ventricular septal defect. METHODS The 90-day mortality, risk factors for mortality and outcome of rescue or urgent coronary revascularization were analysed using 8 years of data from the Japan Cardiovascular Surgical Database. We only included patients with full data for all analyses. RESULTS A total of 1084 patients (median weight: 3.0 kg; interquartile range: 2.8–3.3) underwent arterial switch operation at a median age of 10 days (interquartile range: 7–14). The 90-day mortality (5.2%, n = 56) was ∼1.6-fold higher than 30-day mortality (3.2%, n = 35). The cause was cardiac origin in 84% of non-survivors. Fifty-nine of the 1034 patients (5.7%) required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), with successful weaning in 44% (n = 26). Univariable or multivariable analyses revealed the following risk factors for mortality: body weight at operation <2.5 kg, aortic cross-clamp time, cardiac events and ECMO (P < 0.005–0.001). Ventricular septal defect was not a risk factor. Thirteen patients (1.2%) had either rescue or urgent coronary revascularization with salvage rates of 25% (2/8) and 100% (5/5), respectively. Only 5 ECMO patients (8%) underwent coronary revascularization with 1 survivor. CONCLUSIONS The 90-day mortality represented perioperative outcomes better than 30-day mortality. Patients on ECMO, which extended the survival time, had 56% 90-day mortality. Coronary revascularization showed a salvaging effect, although the case number was small.