Long-term results after surgical correction of atrioventricular septal defects

Abstract

In patients with AVSD of various morphologies closure of the left AV valve cleft significantly improves outcome without affecting the need for reoperation. Risk factors for early and late death (multivariate analysis) were a pulmonary/aortic pressure ratio >0.7 and the occurrence of any complication after surgery. The concept of an early surgical AVSD correction before an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and AV valve deformations occur would represent a better surgical option than a late correction as done in our series. Early correction allows for reduction of early mortality, superior long-term survival rates and a high freedom from subsequent valve degeneration.