The authors sought to study variation in the practice of balloon aortic (BAV) and pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV).
The IMPACT (IMProving Adult and Congenital Treatment) registry provides an opportunity to study practice variation in transcatheter interventions for congenital heart disease.
The authors studied BAV and BPV in the IMPACT registry from January 1, 2011, to September 30, 2015, using hierarchical multivariable models to measure hospital-level variation in: 1) the distribution of indications for intervention; and 2) in cases with \"high resting gradient\" as the indication, consistency with published guidelines.
A total of 1,071 BAV cases at 60 hospitals and 2,207 BPV cases at 75 hospitals were included. The indication for BAV was high resting gradient in 82%, abnormal stress test or electrocardiogram (2%), left ventricular dysfunction (11%), and symptoms (5%). Indications for BPV were high resting gradient in 82%, right-left shunt (6%), right ventricular dysfunction (7%), and symptoms (5%). No association between hospital characteristics and distribution of indications was demonstrated. Among interventions performed for \"high resting gradient,\" there was significant adjusted hospital-level variation in the rates of cases performed consistently with guidelines. For BAV, significant differences were seen across census regions, with hospitals in the East and South more likely to practice consistently than those in the Midwest and West (p = 0.005). For BPV, no association was found between hospital factors and rates of consistent practice, but there was significant interhospital variation (median rate ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 1.6; p < 0.001).
There is measurable hospital-level variation in the practice of BAV and BPV. Further research is necessary to determine whether this affects outcomes or resource use.

暂无摘要。

61 infants with critical valvular pulmonary stenosis (21 cases) or pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (40 cases) were operated on between 1975-1989 in the Semmelweis University Medical School. Right ventricular volume, area, outflow tract dimension and tricuspid anulus diameter was measured by angiocardiography and echocardiography to evaluate right ventricular size, and to predict the operative outcome using these data. Our results suggested, that if the normalized right ventricular volume was less than 3 ml/m2, the normalized right ventricular area was less than 2.5 cm2/m2, and the normalized right ventricular area was less than 2.5 cm2/m2 and the normalized tricuspid anulus diameter was less than 1.2 cm2/m2/3 only a systemopulmonary shunt procedure is needed. In all other cases pulmonary valvotomy is necessary to decompress the right ventric and to help increase the right ventricular size. Where a different part of the right ventricle is hypoplastic a systemopulmonary shunt procedure is needed too. In the follow up period the right ventricular dimension and tricuspid valve diameter was measured by echocardiography. This noninvasive assessment can predict the preoperative diagnosis, postoperative outcome and demonstrates an adequate growth of the right ventricle after pulmonary valvotomy.