Outcomes of Surgical Repair for Persistent Truncus Arteriosus from Neonates to Adults: A Single Center's Experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to report our experiences with surgical repair in patients of all ages with persistent truncus arteriosus.

METHODS: From July 2004 to July 2014, 50 consecutive patients with persistent truncus arteriosus who underwent anatomical repair were included in the retrospective review. Median follow-up time was 3.4 years (range, 3 months to 10 years).

RESULTS: Fifty patients underwent anatomical repair at a median age of 19.6 months (range, 20 days to 19.1 years). Thirty patients (60%) were older than one year. The preoperative pulmonary vascular resistance and mean pulmonary artery pressure were 4.1±2.1 (range, 0.1 to 8.9) units.m2 and 64.3±17.9 (range, 38 to 101) mmHg, respectively. Significant truncal valve regurgitation was presented in 14 (28%) patients. Hospital death occurred in 3 patients, two due to pulmonary hypertensive crisis and the other due to pneumonia. Three late deaths occurred at 3, 4 and 11 months after surgery. The actuarial survival rates were 87.7% and 87.7% at 1 year and 5 years, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified significant preoperative truncal valve regurgitation was a risk factor for overall mortality (odds ratio, 7.584; 95%CI: 1.335-43.092; p = 0.022). Two patients required reoperation of truncal valve replacement. One patient underwent reintervention for conduit replacement. Freedom from reoperation at 5 years was 92.9%. At latest examination, there was one patient with moderate-to-severe truncal valve regurgitation and four with moderate. Three patients had residual pulmonary artery hypertension. All survivors were in New York Heart Association class I-II.

CONCLUSIONS: Complete repair of persistent truncus arteriosus can be achieved with a relatively low mortality and acceptable early- and mid-term results, even in cases with late presentation. Significant preoperative truncal valve regurgitation remains a risk factor for overall mortality. The long-term outcomes warrant further follow-up.