Macala Maney, Carson Richardson, Isaac Kistler, Samantha Fichtner, Hannah Jacobs, Julie B. Aldrich, Clifford L. Cua
Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
United States
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease
J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2026; 13:
DOI: 10.3390/jcdd13060281
Abstract
Background: Ventricular septal defects (VSD) are the most common form of congenital heart disease (CHD). Current guidelines recommend surveillance transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) following surgical closure of perimembranous VSDs (pVSD); however, duration of screening is not explicitly stated. The goal of this study is to determine the utility of follow-up TTEs after uncomplicated pVSD surgical closure.
Methods: Single-site retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent pVSD surgical closure. Patients were excluded if diagnosed with other CHD, had complications 1 year post-repair, or lacked data 1 year post-repair. Serial TTEs were reviewed. A Kaplan-Meier curve was used to illustrate the 5-year complication-free survival.
Results: A total of 117 patients met inclusion criteria. A 97% 5-year complication-free survival was observed. Four patients had complications >1 year post-repair: one non-obstructive subaortic ridge, one pulmonary vein stenosis, one pinhole residual pVSD, and one ventricular ectopy with ventricular dysfunction. Of the 113 complication-free patients, 197 TTEs were performed with no change in clinical management.
Conclusions: Beyond 1 year post-repair, the occurrence of new complications following uncomplicated pVSD surgical closure is rare. Unless clinical concerns arise, the utility of routine TTEs > 1 year post-repair in this uncomplicated post-surgical cohort should be reassessed. Larger multicenter studies are needed to determine the utility of routine TTEs.
Category
Stenosis or Obstruction of Normal Pulmonary Venous Connections
Diagnostic Testing. Noninvasive
Year of Publication: 2026
Age Focus: Pediatric
Article Type: Case Reports or Retrospective Observations in Small Groups of Patients (≤10 patients)
Article Access: Free PDF File or Full Text Article Available Through PubMed or DOI: Yes