Long-Term Outcome After Pulmonary Artery Banding in Children With Atrioventricular Septal Defects

Buratto and colleagues retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 68 patients with atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) who underwent pulmonary artery banding between 1983 and 2016. Of these, 40 patients had balanced AVSD and 28 patients had unbalanced AVSD. Pulmonary arterial banding was not associated with a short-term increase in atrioventricular valve regurgitation for either group. Patients with unbalanced AVSD did not have a higher rate of atrioventricular valve reoperation than in previous series of patients without pulmonary artery banding. Patients with balanced AVSD did have a higher rate of valve reoperation than reported in previous series, though the authors speculate that the higher rate of reoperation might have been due to an increased severity of disease. The authors conclude that pulmonary artery banding can be used in patients with AVSD without affecting early survival or compromising atrioventricular valve function.