Evaluation of risk factors affecting morbidity in patients who underwent
surgical closure of ventricular septal defect
Abstract
Objective: Surgical closure of ventricular septal defect is still the
most common pediatric cardiac surgical procedure. The aim of this study
was to define the risk factors of the complications of ventricular
septal defect surgery. Methods: We evaluated the preoperative,
perioperative, and postoperative data from echocardiography reports,
perfusion reports, and clinical, inpatient, and operative notes of all
the patients. The following were the outcome variables for this study:
in-hospital death; duration of mechanical ventilation in hours; duration
of pediatric intensive care unit stay in days; and duration of hospital
stay in days. Herein, we report our single pediatric cardiac center
experience between October 2015 and October 2018. Results: A total of
108 patients underwent surgical ventricular septal defect closure during
the study period. Prolonged pediatric intensive care unit stay, hospital
stay and mechanical ventilation time was associated with younger age and
low weight. The patients with genetic syndromes had statistically longer
mechanical ventilation time (p < 0.001), pediatric intensive
care unit stay (p < 0.001), and hospital stay (p = 0.002).
Conclusion: Although genetic syndromes did not affect the complication
rates, it affected the lengths of hospital and pediatric intensive care
unit stays and mechanical ventilation duration. Young age and lower body
weight was a risk factor of prolonged hospitalization, prolonged
pediatric intensive care unit stay and prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Therefore, these situations should be considered in the postoperative
follow-up of patients with ventricular septal defect.