Relative Factor Analysis of Postoperative Complications in Infants Below 1 Year Undergoing Repair of Ventricular Septal Defect Combined with Other Procedures through a Right Axillary Incision

Abstract

Background: Compared to the traditional surgical repair of isolated ventricular septal defects, the proportion of complex congenital heart diseases has been increasing due to advancements in diagnostic capabilities and surgical techniques. Concomitant surgeries to correct multiple congenital heart diseases have become the preferred choice. Therefore, the evaluation of the safety of the combined correction of ventricular septal defects with other cardiac anomalies in young children through a right axillary incision and the analysis of related factors of perioperative complications needs to be investigated. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on a single-center patient sample from January 2018 to December 2022 to compare outcomes between infants undergoing isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair via a right axillary thoracotomy (control group) and those undergoing VSD repair combined with other cardiac procedures (experimental group). Results: A total of 397 eligible infants were included. After baseline data were matched using propensity score matching, the experimental group (n = 181) and the control group (n = 107) showed no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss, postoperative total drainage, length of hospital stay, duration of ICU monitoring, Vasoactive-Inotropic Score (VIS), pre-discharge left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening (FS), postoperative severe pulmonary infection, reoperation, mortality, postoperative atrioventricular block, chylothorax, cardiac arrest, pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, pulmonary atelectasis, tricuspid regurgitation, myocardial injury, abdominal effusion, and metabolic acidosis. However, the control group had shorter surgical time [28.00 (90.00, 196.00) vs. 140.00 (95.00, 658.00) min, p < 0.05], shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time [58.00 (24.00, 114.00) vs. 66.00 (33.00, 422.00) min, p < 0.05], shorter aortic cross-clamp time [32.00 (17.00, 62.00) vs. 37.00 (15.00, 142.00) min, p < 0.05], and shorter postoperative mechanical ventilation time [22.00 (0, 99.00) vs. 23.00 (3.00, 193.00) h, p < 0.05]. The rate of abdominal effusion was lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p = 0.044). In the analysis of postoperative complication-related factors, the preoperative grade of tricuspid regurgitation, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, and VIS were positively correlated with abdominal effusion and satisfied the variable (p < 0.05) in each of three established models. In the single-factor analysis, both VIS and preoperative lymphocyte count were (p < 0.1) related to pericardial effusion; however, in the multi-factor analysis, only VIS met the threshold (p < 0.05). Gender, height, and VIS were each associated with pleural effusion (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The combination of ventricular septal defect repair with other cardiac procedures via a right axillary thoracotomy did not significantly differ from isolated VSD repair in terms of postoperative complications, monitoring, and length of hospital stay. However, increased surgical complexity was associated with longer surgical and mechanical ventilation times. Factors such as tricuspid regurgitation severity, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, and VIS were identified as relative factors for postoperative effusion. Additionally, the risk of postoperative pericardial effusion increased with higher VIS, while gender, height, and VIS were identified as relative factors for postoperative chylothorax.