Aortic coarctation surgery in pediatric patients requires the placement of two arterial cannulas to monitor pressure gradients and surgical correction adequacy. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring provides insight into regional blood flow. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between NIRS values and invasive arterial pressures, exploring NIRS monitoring as a potential substitute for arterial cannulation. In a cohort of 21 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing aortic coarctation surgery, recordings of NIRS and invasive arterial pressure values were evaluated at various time intervals. Pearson correlation evaluated the relationship between NIRS values and invasively measured arterial pressures. Moderate to strong correlations were observed between the mean arterial pressure (MAP) of the upper and lower arteries and cerebral (rSO2-C) and somatic (rSO2-S) NIRS values 5 min after cross-clamp placement (r = 0.621, p = 0.003; r = 0.757, p < 0.001). Strong correlations were found 15 min after cross-clamp placement (r = 0.828, p = 0.002; r = 0.783, p = 0.004). Before transfer to the ICU, a strong correlation existed between the upper artery MAP and rSO2-C (r = 0.730, p < 0.001), but there was no correlation between the lower artery MAP and rSO2-S. These findings are promising, but further studies are required to validate it as a reliable substitute for invasive pressure monitoring in this patient population.

Introduction. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare congenital heart disease and in some variants represents the only true surgical emergency in congenital heart surgery. Basic anatomical characteristic of this anomaly is an abnormal connection of pulmonary veins with systemic venous circulation. Although the results of TAPVC repair in infancy have been markedly improved in recent years, the recurrent pulmonary venous obstruction (RPVO) remains relatively frequent complication of surgical treatment. Objective. The aim of this study was a retrospective evaluation of TAPVC repair at a single institution, identifying the risk factors associated with the increased mortality and morbidity. Methods. Between January 2001 and January 2010, 43 consecutive patients underwent repair of TAPVC at the University Children?s Hospital, with median weight of 3.8 kg (1.8-13 kg). Median age at surgery varied from 5 days to 5 years. Distribution of TAPVC types was as follows: supracardiac 19 (44%), cardiac 12 (28%), infracardiac 9 (21%), and mixed 3 (7%). Eleven patients (26%) were emergencies due to obstructed drainage. Results. Early mortality was 9.30% (4/43). An average time of followup/survival for 95% interval of confidence was 101.6?6.7 months. Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival was 83.7?5.7%. Freedom from reintervention after 10 years was 87.2?0.5%. The principal reason for reintervention was RPVO. Conclusion. Preoperative obstruction is not a risk factor of early mortality and RPVO. Low body mass (below 2.5 kg) is the only identified risk factor of early mortality. Complex morphology of the confluens, particularly in a mixed type of TAPVR, is the main risk factor of RPVO development.