All issues > Volume 42(12); 1999

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1999;42(12):1683-1688. Published online December 15, 1999.

Postoperative Doppler Echocardiographic Study of Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return

Nam Cheol NC Cho¹, Hyoung Doo HD Lee¹, Si Chan SC Sung²

¹Department of Pediatrics, Dong-A University, Pusan, Korea
²Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dong-A University, Pusan, Korea

Correspondence Nam Cheol NC Cho ,Email: 1

Abstract

Purpose
: We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of Doppler study by examining obstruction at the site of anastomosis in patients with total anomalous pulmonary venous return(TAPVR).
Methods
: Retrograde analysis of the postoperative echocardiography results was done in 14 patients with simple TAPVR, who were operated at Dong-A University Hospital from January 1993 to July 1998. The peak systolic velocities, peak diastolic velocities and flow patterns of the 14 patients were compared with those of 9 control cases. Among the 14 patients, 2 cases showed evidence of obstruction at the anastomosis site.
Results
: Pulmonary venous flow patterns of normal infants were biphasic, varying with the cardiac cycle. The peak velocities during systole and diastole were 40 to 60cm/sec(mean 51¡¾9cm/sec) and 45 to 78cm/sec(mean 59¡¾9cm/sec), respectively. The flow patterns of patients without postoperative stenosis were also biphasic. The peak velocities during systole and diastole was 38 to 115cm/sec(mean 71¡¾27cm/sec) and 55 to 140cm/sec(mean 111¡¾28cm/sec), respectively. The diastole peak velocity was significantly higher than normal(P =0.0002). The flow patterns of patients with postoperative stenosis was continuous, non-phasic or increased peak velocity even though it was phasic.
Conclusion
: Postoperative Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of pulmonary venous return in patients with TAPVR is useful in examining obstruction at the site of anastomosis. But a study on the Doppler echocardiographic normal range of postoperative patients will be needed.

Keywords :TAPVR, Doppler echocardiography