Repair Type Influences Mode of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis in Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage

Background. We hypothesized that primary sutureless (SL) repair of total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) may have a lower incidence of postrepair pulmonary vein obstruction (PVO) and different modes of PVO compared with standard repair (SR). Methods. One hundred ninety-five patients who underwent TAPVD repair (1990 to 2012) with the exception of congenital pulmonary vein stenosis, isomerism, and single-ventricle anomalies were included. Survival, reintervention, incidence, degree of PVO were compared between groups. The mode of PVO was expressed as central or peripheral. The Mann-Whitney test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox regression were used. Results. The SL group had more infracardiac or mixed TAPVD (p = 0.02) and preoperative PVO (p = 0.07). There were no differences between SR and SL groups in survival (5-year survival, 83.1% versus 82.5%, respectively; p = 0.73) and composite outcome (death, intervention, PVO, 5-year survival, 76.4% versus 80.7%, respectively; p = 0.225). The SL group had a lower incidence of PVO of moderate or greater degree (SR, 11.3% versus SL, 2.9%; p = 0.05) than the SR group, especially in the infracardiac and mixed TAPVD cohort (p = 0.011), with a lower pulmonary vein score (SR, 8 versus SL, 4; p = 0.01). The SL group had peripheral PVO exclusively (100%), whereas the SR group predominantly had central PVO (76.4%; p = 0.005). There was a trend toward less reoperation in the SL group (SR, 10.4% versus SL, 2.9%; p = 0.08). Survival after reoperation was comparable to primary TAPVD repair types as well as reoperation repair types. Conclusions. Primary SL appeared to be associated with a lower incidence and severity of PVO. The primary SL repair eliminated the risk of developing central PVO, although a relatively benign type of peripheral PVO could occur.