F. Drago et al., EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF PATIENTS AT RISK FOR SINUS NODE DYSFUNCTION AFTER MUSTARD OPERATION, International journal of cardiology, 35(1), 1992, pp. 27-32
We studied 60 patients who had survived the Mustard procedure for tran
sposition of the great arteries, performed between the ages of 2 days
and 24 months (mean 4.51 +/- 3.79). All patients were given a postoper
ative 24-hour dynamic electrocardiogram at 15 days, 1 year and 3 years
and then every 2 years. Those who were found to have sinus node dysfu
nction during follow-up, were given a dynamic electrocardiogram every
3-6 months. The average follow-up period was 38.7 +/- 19.8 months, med
ian 36. Sinus node dysfunction was detected during follow-up in 20 pat
ients (33.3% of the total), 8 of whom had had a pacemaker inserted. Ri
sk factors for late development of sinus node dysfunction were found t
o include prolonged cross-clamping of the aorta during surgery (P = 0.
003), especially over 50 minutes (relative risk 3.5:1), and the presen
ce of even transient sinus node dysfunction after surgery (P = 0.006).
These observations suggests, first, that sinus node dysfunction may d
evelop after the Mustard operation as a combined effect of extensive a
trial surgery and a long period of myocardial ischemia and, second, th
at the presence of the disease immediately after the operation sometim
es indicates that it will recur or persist during follow-up.