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.