Risk factors for recoarctation of aorta after Norwood procedure in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Recoarctation (reCoA) of the aorta is a common complication afer the Norwood procedure. Untreated, it can lead to failure of the systemic ventricle and death. The main goal of the study is to define risk factors of reCoA after the Norwood procedure in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the pre-, intra- and postoperative data of 96 successive patients who underwent the Norwood procedure between 2007 and 2011. In case of reCoA balloon angioplasty was performed. We analyzed and compared the data of the patients with reCoA and without reCoA using the StatSo STATISTICA TM 10 software. RESULTS: ReCoA was noted in 23 patients (33.3%). This complication was diagnosed 95.1 days (49-156 days) on the average a er the Norwood procedure. Balloon angioplasty successfully allowed for decreasing the mean gradient across the site of the narrowing from the average 27.5 mmHg to the average 9.7 mmHg (p = 0.008) and enlarged the neo-isthmus by the average of 2 mm (p <0.05). The risks factors seemed to be the diameter of the ascending aorta OR = 7.82 (p = 0.001), atresia of the mitral valve OR = 7.00 (p = 0.003) and atresia of the aortic valve - OR = 6.22 (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Balloon angioplasty seems to be an effective intervention in case of reCoA. A low diameter of the native ascending aorta (<=3mm) and the presence of atresia of the mitral and/or aortic valve should intensify the vigilance of a cardiologist in the search for signs of reCoA of the aorta.