Complications after surgical repair of congenital heart disease in infants. An experience from tertiary care center

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the incidence and spectrum of postoperative complications in infants who underwent their first cardiac surgery for the repair of congenital heart diseases. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study. Data of infants admitted to King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center; Jeddah; Saudi Arabia, from January 2015 to December 2019 who underwent the first cardiac procedure for congenital heart disease at an age of less than 3 months, were analyzed. The primary outcome is the prevalence and spectrum of postoperative complications during hospitalization. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and analytical statistics using SAS software version 9.4. Results: Data of 130 procedures were analyzed. The most frequent procedure performed was the Norwood procedure (31.5%), aortic coarctation repair (13.8%), arterial switch operation (13%), and Blalock-Taussig and central shunts (10%). The overall postprocedural complications were reported in 96 (73.8%) of the procedures. The most frequent complications were prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation (27%), pleural effusion (21%), excessive bleeding (19%), cardiac arrest (18%), and systemic infections (18%). Conclusion: Cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease in young infants has a substantial risk for postoperative complications. The high incidence of these complications in these cases makes necessary attention to prove the outcomes in the cardiac centers.