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Direct Reimplantation Procedure in Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Right Coronary Artery: Long-Term Single Center Outcomes

Background: Anomalous aortic origin of the right coronary artery is known to be a cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes. There are no specific guidelines concerning treatment strategy in the literature. The aim of this study is to describe and report our experience of direct reimplantation technique in the treatment of this anomaly. Methods: This was a retrospective single center study of 30 patients who underwent surgery in the congenital heart disease unit of Louis Pradel Heart and Lung Hospital between January 2003 and December 2016. The mean follow-up was seven years (3 months-17 years). Results: Thirty patients underwent surgery. The median age was 17 years (0.2-52 years). There were 24 males. The median weight was 58 kg (3.6-118 kg). Fourteen patients were actively engaged in sports. Twenty-six patients had exertional chest pain or syncope. The median time lapse between diagnosis and intervention was 4.5 months (0.5-179 months). Twenty-seven (90%) patients underwent reimplantation of the anomalous coronary artery without transverse aortotomy, while in 3 (10%) patients transverse aortotomy was used to facilitate reimplantation to avoid tension at the anastomosis. There was no early death; one late death occurred in the third postoperative month. At the last follow-up, all patients had returned to normal physical activity without evidence of ischemia. Conclusions: Direct reimplantation allows for a complete restoration of the coronary anatomy and enables patients to return to normal physical activity. Our study shows encouraging results using a direct reimplantation technique without aortotomy.