Medium-Term Outcomes in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization Early After Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Safety and acute outcomes for patients who need catheterization shortly after congenital cardiac surgery has been established; literature on mid-term outcomes is lacking. We sought to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of patients who undergo early postoperative cardiac catheterization. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent cardiac catheterization within 6 weeks of congenital cardiac surgery with longitudinal follow-up and assessment of mid-term outcomes. Multivariable analysis was utilized to relate variables of interest to outcomes. 99 patients underwent cardiac catheterizations within 6 weeks of cardiac surgery between January 2008 and September 2016. Forty-six (45.5%) interventional procedures were performed at a median age of 41 days (IQR 21–192) and a median weight of 3.9 kg (3.3–6.6). During a median follow-up duration of 4.24 years (1.6–5.6) in study survivors, 61% of patients remained free from the primary endpoint (death and/or transplant). Sixty-nine patients (69.7%) underwent an unplanned surgical or catheter procedure. Renal failure at catheterization (OR 280.5, p 0.0199), inotropic medication at catheterization (OR 14.8, p 0.002), and younger age were all significantly associated with meeting the primary endpoint. Patients requiring surgical intervention as an initial additional intervention underwent more unplanned re-interventions, while patients who survived to hospital discharge demonstrated favorable mortality, though with frequent need for re-intervention. In patients requiring early postoperative cardiac catheterization, renal failure, younger age, and need for inotropic support at catheterization are significantly associated with meeting the primary endpoint.