Immediate and medium-term outcomes of ductal stenting in neonates and infants

Background The implantation of stents to keep the ductus arteriosus patent in cyanotic congenital heart disease is an alternative to the modified Blalock-Taussig surgery (mBT) in high-risk patients. This study describes the immediate and medium-term outcomes of stent implantation in neonates and infants with duct-dependent pulmonary circulation. Methods This was a descriptive and prospective study including different cyanotic congenital heart diseases treated between 2014 and 2015. Results Fourteen patients with a mean age of 46 days, and mean weight of 4.5 kg were assessed, and pulmonary artresia with interventricular communication was the most treated condition. The femoral artery approach was used in 70% of procedures; carotid approach was used in the remaining cases. Stents of 3.5 x 12 mm were used in most cases, and implant success was achieved in 78% of interventions (11/14). The failed cases were referred to surgery – one of them was an emergency, which resulted in death. Ductal spasm occurred in < 48 hours in three patients who required mBT, with favorable outcome. Complications after discharge and within the first 30 days included stent thrombosis (2/11), one of which was controlled with redilation, another progressed to death, and one sudden death (1/11). The overall mortality was 21.4% (3/14). A patent ductus arteriosus in the first 6 months was present in five cases, which underwent palliative surgery. Conclusions The initial experience of ductal stenting showed favorable immediate outcomes, but in the medium term, little more than a third of the cases maintained a patent ductus arteriosus within 6 months.