Zeng-Shan Ma1, Chang-Yong Yang2, Ming-Feng Dong3, Shu-Ming Wu2, Le-Xin Wang4. 1. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Cardiac Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China. Electronic address: mazengshan31@163.com. 2. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China. 3. Department of Cardiac Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China. 4. School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Cardiac Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China. Electronic address: lwang@csu.edu.au.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To summarize the clinical outcomes of totally thoracoscopic closure of a ventricular septal defect (VSD). METHODS: Totally thoracoscopic VSD closure was performed in 119 patients (66 boys; mean age, 7.1 ± 3.6 years). An additional 35 patients undergoing open-chest VSD closure were selected as a control group. Using 3 port incisions in the right chest, pericardiotomy, bicaval occlusion, atriotomy, and VSD closure were performed by thoracoscopy without the aid of a robotically assisted surgical system. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times were 42.2 ± 9.8 and 32.5 ± 7.3 minutes, respectively. There were no deaths but 1 patient required insertion of a permanent pacemaker as a result of postoperative atrioventricular conduction block. The length of stay in the intensive care unit (11.0 ± 2.6 vs 22.9 ± 4.9 hours, P < .01) or postoperative hospital stay (4.2 ± 1.1 vs 6.6 ± 2.1 days, P < .03) in the thoracoscopic group were shorter than in the control group. The percentage of patients who required postoperative opioid analgesics in the thoracoscopic group was lower than in the control group (31.9% vs 74.2%, P < .001). Rate of blood transfusion during the operation (17.6% vs 65.7%, P = .001) and the postoperative use of opioid analgesics (31.9% vs 74.3%, P = .003) in the thoracoscopic group was lower than in the control group. Transesophageal echocardiographic analysis 4.6 ± 2.3 months after the operation showed complete closure of the defect. CONCLUSIONS: Totally thoracoscopic closure of VSD through a 3-port entry was safe and effective.
OBJECTIVES: To summarize the clinical outcomes of totally thoracoscopic closure of a ventricular septal defect (VSD). METHODS: Totally thoracoscopic VSD closure was performed in 119 patients (66 boys; mean age, 7.1 ± 3.6 years). An additional 35 patients undergoing open-chest VSD closure were selected as a control group. Using 3 port incisions in the right chest, pericardiotomy, bicaval occlusion, atriotomy, and VSD closure were performed by thoracoscopy without the aid of a robotically assisted surgical system. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times were 42.2 ± 9.8 and 32.5 ± 7.3 minutes, respectively. There were no deaths but 1 patient required insertion of a permanent pacemaker as a result of postoperative atrioventricular conduction block. The length of stay in the intensive care unit (11.0 ± 2.6 vs 22.9 ± 4.9 hours, P < .01) or postoperative hospital stay (4.2 ± 1.1 vs 6.6 ± 2.1 days, P < .03) in the thoracoscopic group were shorter than in the control group. The percentage of patients who required postoperative opioid analgesics in the thoracoscopic group was lower than in the control group (31.9% vs 74.2%, P < .001). Rate of blood transfusion during the operation (17.6% vs 65.7%, P = .001) and the postoperative use of opioid analgesics (31.9% vs 74.3%, P = .003) in the thoracoscopic group was lower than in the control group. Transesophageal echocardiographic analysis 4.6 ± 2.3 months after the operation showed complete closure of the defect. CONCLUSIONS: Totally thoracoscopic closure of VSD through a 3-port entry was safe and effective.