| Summary: | A serious complication after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) is complete heart block (CHB). It continues to be a leading cause of long-term postoperative cardiac morbidity despite all surgical technical improvements, especially with performance of more surgical procedures in increasingly younger patients.
Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of early postoperative CHB requiring pacemaker implantation following surgical repair of isolated ventricular septal defect, and try to identify possible procedural risk factors.
Design: Prospective study design.
Setting: Multicenter study: Ain-Shams University Hospital, Aboul Reesh Student Hospital and The National Heart Institute.
Method: We reviewed four hundred patients who had a surgical repair of isolated VSD from 2009 to 2011.
Results: 14 out of 400 patients (3.5%) developed permanent post-operative CHB. All; but one; underwent closure of large perimembranous VSD. CHB patients had a significant lower body weight (8.36 vs. 12.68 kg, p < 0.01), longer ACC time (42.6 vs. 36.4 min, p < 0.01), longer CPB time (75.4 vs. 67.4 min, p < 0.01) and longer hospital stay (19 vs. 8.3 days, p < 0.01). Tricuspid valve detachment was performed in 28 patients (7%) and was associated with a higher incidence of CHB (7% vs. 3.75%, p = 0.6).
Conclusion: Large perimembranous VSD and lower body weight appear to be independent risk factors for permanent CHB following the surgical closure of isolated VSD.
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