Increased postoperative respiratory complications in heterotaxy congenital heart disease patients with respiratory ciliary dysfunction

Brandon Harden, Xin Tian, Rachel Giese, Nader Nakhleh, Safina Kureshi, Richard Francis, Sridhar Hanumanthaiah, You Li, Matthew Swisher, Karen Kuehl, Iman Sami, Kenneth Olivier, Richard Jonas, Cecilia W. Lo, Linda Leatherbury

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective(s) Congenital heart disease (CHD) and heterotaxy patients have increased postoperative and respiratory complications. We recently showed CHD-heterotaxy patients can have respiratory ciliary dysfunction (CD) similar to that associated with primary ciliary dyskinesia, including low nasal nitric oxide and abnormal ciliary motion. In this study, we investigated whether CHD-heterotaxy patients with CD may have worse postsurgical outcomes. Methods We examined postsurgical outcome in 13 heterotaxy-CHD patients with CD (25 surgeries), compared with 14 heterotaxy-CHD patients without CD (27 surgeries). Outcome data were collected for each surgery, including respiratory complications, tracheostomy, use of inhaled β-agonists or nitric oxide, length of hospital stay, days on ventilator, and death. Results The CD versus the no-CD CHD cohorts had similar Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery-1 risk categories, repair track, age at surgery, and follow-up evaluation times. Respiratory complications (76% vs 37%; P =.006), need for tracheostomy (16% vs 0%; P =.047), and use of inhaled β-agonists (64% vs 11%; P =.0001) all were increased significantly in heterotaxy-CHD patients with CD. No significant differences were detected in postoperative hospital stay, days on mechanical ventilation, or surgical mortality. A trend toward increased mortality for the CD group beyond the postoperative period was observed (33% vs 0%; P =.055) in patients younger than age 10 years. Conclusions Our findings showed that heterotaxy-CHD patients with CD may have increased risks for respiratory deficiencies. Overall, there was a trend toward increased mortality in CD patients with intermediate follow-up evaluation. Because β-agonists are known to increase ciliary beat frequency, presurgical screening for CD and perioperative treatment of CD patients with inhaled β-agonists may improve postoperative outcomes and survival.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1291-1298.E2
JournalJournal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume147
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2014
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
  • Surgery

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Increased postoperative respiratory complications in heterotaxy congenital heart disease patients with respiratory ciliary dysfunction'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this