The Association Between Preoperative Malnutrition and Early Postoperative Outcomes in Children with Congenital Heart Disease: A 2-Year Retrospective Study at a Lebanese Tertiary Medical Center.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of malnutrition and its impact on postoperative outcomes in infants and children with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) undergoing cardiac surgeries.

Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective review of medical records of children aged 1 month to 5 years with CHDs who underwent cardiac surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) between January 2015 and January 2017. Anthropometric data were collected and z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), and BMI-for-age were calculated.

Cor Triatriatum: an uncommon congenital anomaly - the experience of a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Background: Cor Triatriatum is a congenital anomaly characterized by the abnormal presence of a fibromuscular junction in one of the atria, as seen on echocardiography. This anomaly can lead to major hemodynamic problems and obstruction of blood flow. This study aims to explore the risk factors, diagnostic modalities, and surgical interventions used to tackle this congenital anomaly at a tertiary care center over an 18-year period.

Chylothorax: a rare postoperative complication in paediatric cardiac surgery patients - a 15-year retrospective study from a tertiary care centre in a developing country.

Chylothorax, a postoperative complication of CHD surgery, involves chyle accumulation in the pleural cavity, posing challenges in diagnosis and management. This retrospective study investigates the prevalence, aetiology, management, and outcomes of postoperative chylothorax in paediatric patients undergoing cardiac corrective surgery at a tertiary care centre over 15 years. Medical records of paediatric patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery at the Children's Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between 2007 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.

Surgical removal of pulmonary flow restrictors in children with congenital heart disease: What the outcomes reveal.

Objective: Pulmonary flow restrictors (PFRs) are interesting devices, but their surgical removal outcomes are poorly understood.

Methods: Retrospective review of clinical data from children with bilateral PFRs who underwent device removal during follow-up surgery.

Results: Thirty-four PFRs were explanted from 17 patients (41.

Midterm Outcomes of Endovascular Pulmonary Artery Debanding in Children.

Background: Pulmonary artery banding (PAB) palliates pulmonary over-circulation, while endovascular debanding (ED) offers a less invasive alternative to repeat surgery.

Objectives: To evaluate our experience with ED.

Aims: Retrospective review of single-center data (2015-2023) on children with single, multiple, or "Swiss-cheese" muscular ventricular septal defects (MVSDs) undergoing ED.

Word of caution: early life-threatening complication linked to pulmonary flow restrictors.

A 2-month-old female (3.4 kg, 50 cm) with Down syndrome and left-to-right shunting congenital heart defects underwent an unsuccessful transcatheter ductal closure, followed by bilateral implantation of manually modified microvascular plugs (MVP-9Q) from Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA), used as pulmonary flow restrictors. Post-procedure, she developed febrile respiratory distress, leading to admission to the intensive care unit.

Congenital Blood Cyst of a Child: A case report and review of literature.

Blood-filled cysts of the heart valves are frequently reported at postpartum autopsies of infants. They are seen as round nodules mostly in the paediatric age group in infants less than 2 months of age and disappear spontaneously within 6 months of life. We report a unique case of an 11-month-old girl who presented at a tertiary healthcare hospital in 2022 with a blood-filled cyst on the posterior leaflet of the pulmonary valve that was successfully treated.

Pulmonary artery banding: a 20-year experience at a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Aim: Pulmonary artery banding serves as an important palliative procedure used for the management of several congenital heart lesions. This study aims to describe a 20-year experience of pulmonary artery banding at a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent pulmonary artery banding over a 20-year period between January 2000 and July 2020 in a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Hybrid stage 1 palliation for HLHS: the experience of a tertiary center in a developing country.

Background: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) accounts for 2.6% of congenital heart disease and is an invariably fatal cardiac anomaly if left untreated. Approximately 33,750 babies are born annually with HLHS in developing countries.

Three-dimensional printing of mitral valve models using echocardiographic data improves the knowledge of cardiology fellow physicians in training.

Background: High fidelity three-dimensional Mitral valve models (3D MVM) printed from echocardiography are currently being used in preparation for surgical repair.

Aim: We hypothesize that printed 3DMVM could have relevance to cardiologists in training by improving their understanding of normal anatomy and pathology.

Methods: Sixteen fellow physicians in pediatric and adult cardiology training were recruited.

Combined tricuspid atresia- AV septal defect-a rare congenital cardiac abnormality.

Introduction: Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are one of the most common birth defects worldwide with a prevalence of 1%. CHDs can be classified into cyanotic and acyanotic diseases based on the presence or absence of the characteristic bluish discoloration of skin and mucus membranes. A subset of cyanotic diseases is single ventricle malformations.

Outcomes of manually modified microvascular plugs to pulmonary flow restrictors in various congenital heart lesions.

Background: The development of microvascular plugs (MVPs) has enabled novel transcatheter deliverable endoluminal pulmonary flow restrictors (PFRs) with the potential to treat newborns and infants with life-threatening congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in a minimally invasive manner. We present our experience to evaluate the efficacy of this concept in controlling pulmonary blood flow in various CHDs.

Methods: Retrospective clinical data review of patients with CHD and pulmonary over-circulation who received bilateral PFRs percutaneously.

Transcatheter occlusion of a hepatic vein-to-left atrium fistula: Should we close venovenous collateral vessels following Fontan operation?

Right-to-left shunt due to abnormal systemic venous drainage to the left heart is among the causes of hypoxemia following Fontan operation. There are conflicting data regarding the closure of the venovenous collaterals (VVCs) post-Fontan, showing decreased survival in older patients. In a child with visceral heterotaxy, we describe a rare fistula draining a right-sided hepatic vein into hepatic venous plexus and a right-sided pulmonary venous atrium.

The use of steroids in treating chylothorax following cardiac surgery in children: a unique perspective.

Background: Chylothorax is the accumulation of chyle fluid in the pleural space. The incidence of chylothorax is quite common post-cardiac surgeries in pediatrics especially in Fontan procedures. Although several treatment lines are known for the management of chylothorax, steroids were scarcely reported as a treatment option.

Endovascular Stent Repair of Aortic Coarctation in a Developing Country: A Single-Center Experience.

Background/purpose: CoA remains one of the most common congenital heart diseases and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and if untreated. We aim to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of endovascular stenting of Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in a developing country with limited resources and compare it to available benchmarks.

Materials/methods: A retrospectively review of all patients who underwent endovascular stent repair of aortic coarctation at our tertiary center since 2009 was done.

Pre-operative assessment of pediatric congenital heart disease patients in the COVID-19 era: lessons learned.

Background: Equal to COVID-19 patients, non-COVID-19 patients are affected by the medical and social drawbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic. A significant reduction in elective life-changing surgeries has been witnessed in almost all affected countries. This study discusses an applicable and effective pre-operative assessment protocol that can be applied during the COVID-19 era.

Congenital Heart Disease in Syrian Refugee Children: The Experience at a Tertiary Care Center in a Developing Country.

The influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon that began in 2012 created new health-care and financial stressors on the country with an increase in communicable and non-communicable diseases. This study aims to describe the presentations, diagnoses, management, financial burden, and outcomes among Syrian refugees with congenital heart disease (CHD) in Lebanon. This is a retrospective study that was conducted through reviewing the charts of all Syrian pediatric patients referred to the Children's Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center for evaluation between the years 2012 and 2017.

Balloon Valvuloplasty for Congenital Aortic Stenosis: Experience at a Tertiary Center in a Developing Country.

Background: Aortic valve stenosis accounts for 3-6% of congenital heart disease. Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is the preferred therapeutic intervention in many centers. However, most of the reported data are from developed countries.

Placement of Labcor Pulmonary Conduit Results in a High Incidence of Postoperative Fever.

Background: Fever in the postoperative period in cardiac patients is common. The purpose of this study is to recognize the risk factors for prolonged postoperative fever in cardiac patients with pulmonary conduit insertion.

Methods: Patients were identified retrospectively by looking at the procedure code for pulmonary conduit insertion between June 2009 and December 2015 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.

Establishing a High-Quality Congenital Cardiac Surgery Program in a Developing Country: Lessons Learned.

Developing countries are profoundly affected by the burden of congenital heart disease (CHD) because of limited resources, poverty, cost, and inefficient governance. The outcome of pediatric cardiac surgery in developing countries is suboptimal, and the availability of sustainable programs is minimal. This study describes the establishment of a high quality pediatric cardiac surgery program in Lebanon, a limited resource country.