A successful biventricular repair in an adult case with “common ventricle” and isomeric atrial appendages previously undergoing the conventional Glenn procedure

• Published in: General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery Vol. 46; no. 11; pp. 1177 - 1181
• Main Authors: Yoshida, Masahiro, Yagihara, Toshikatsu, Uemura, Hideki, Yamashita, Katsushi, Kawahira, Yoichi, Yoshizumi, Ko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Nature B.V 01.11.1998
• Subjects: Ostomy; Pulmonary arteries; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 1344-4964; 1863-6705; 1863-2092; 1863-6713
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03217897

We describe herein a successful biventricular repair in a 21-year-old male who had severe hypoplasia of isomeric right appendages. He had previously undergone the conventional Glenn procedure at the age of one and a half years. Although he had grown uneventfully until adolescence, cyanosis as well as fatigue than gradually became worse. When referred to us for further treatment, we deemed a Fontan type procedure to be contraindicated, because of the hypoplastic nature of the right pulmonary artery, and the presence of abundant collateral arteries supplying the right lung. In terms of ventricular morphology, however, because both apical components were present, separated by the hypoplastic septum, biventricular repair seemed feasible. Initially, the Glenn anastomosis was taken down, and systemic-to-pulmonary shunts were constructed via a median sternotomy to both the right and left pulmonary arteries. This was followed by surgical division of the developed collaterals to the right lung via the right thoracotomy. Definitive biventricular repair was then carried out by reconstructing the pulmonary arteries and right ventricular outflow tact, septating and rerouting within the ventricles using a EPTFE patch, and achieving redirection of blood within the atriums using bovine pericardium. Such staged surgical approaches, although extensive, can provide useful options when seeking definitive repair in grown-up patients with complicated malformations.