Operative Repair of Aortopulmonary Window: A 25-Year Experience

Abstract

Background: Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare anomaly with variable morphology and associated cardiac anomalies. We evaluated impact of patient and operative factors on mid-term outcomes following APW repair. Methods: Twenty-nine patients underwent surgical APW repair at our institution from 1996 to 2022. Eight (28%) had simple APW, accompanied by only atrial septal defect or patent ductus arteriosus; 21 (72%) had complex APW with additional cardiovascular lesions, including nine with interrupted aortic arch. Median operative age was 19 days (range 2 days-1.5 years) via single-patch (n = 12, 41%), double-patch (n = 15, 52%), or ligation and division (n = 2, 7%). Results: The only mortality occurred in-hospital 1.4 years postoperatively following remote myocardial infarction. Factors associated with longer postoperative length of stay were complex APW ( P = .003), genetic syndrome ( P = .003), noncardiovascular comorbidities ( P = .002), lower birth weight ( P = .03), and lower operative weight ( P = .03). Six patients (21%) with complex APW underwent unplanned cardiothoracic reintervention(s), including two with arch reintervention following arch advancement for interruption. Reintervention-free survival was similar for simple versus complex APW, operative age categories, and repair techniques. At median follow-up 5.5 years postoperatively, no patients had residual APW or persistent pulmonary hypertension, 1 (3%) had greater than mild ventricular dysfunction, and 25 (89% survivors) had NYHA class I functional status. Conclusions: Operative APW repair has excellent mid-term survival, durability, and functional status, regardless of operative age, cardiovascular comorbidities, or repair technique. Cardiac and noncardiac comorbidities may be associated with prolonged length of stay.