The behavior of residual pulmonary artery gradient after arterial switch
operation: A longitudinal data analysis
Abstract
Objective: The arterial switch operation is the standard treatment for
the transposition of the great arteries. The timely variation in the
residual pressure gradient across the pulmonary arteries is ill-defined.
This work is aimed to study the progressive changes in the pressure
gradient across the pulmonary valve and pulmonary arteries after
arterial switch operation (ASO). Methods: All eligible patients for this
study who underwent arterial switch operation between 2000 and 2019 were
reviewed. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), was used to estimate the
peak pressure gradient across the pulmonary artery and its branches. The
primary outcome was the total peak pressure gradient (TPG) which is the
sum of peak pressure gradients across the main pulmonary artery and
pulmonary artery branches. Furthermore, a longitudinal data analyses
with mixed effect modeling were used to determine the independent
predictors for the changes in pressure gradient. Results: 309 patients
were included in the study. Over 17-year follow up, the freedom from
pulmonary stenosis reintervention was 95% (16 out of the 309 patients
underwent reintervention = 5%). the Longitudinal data analyses of
serial 1844 echocardiographic studies for the included patients revealed
that the TPG recorded in the first postoperative echocardiogram across
pulmonary valve, right and left pulmonary artery branches was the most
significant predictor for reintervention. Conclusion: The total peak
gradient measured in the first postoperative echocardiogram is the most
important predictor for reintervention. We propose that a total peak
gradient in the first postoperative echocardiography of 55 mmHg or more
is a predictor for reintervention