Preemptive stenting of the left pulmonary artery during comprehensive stage 2 procedure does not influence Fontan candidacy.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary artery reconstruction during comprehensive stage 2 (CS2) procedure can be challenging. Since 2017, we have employed preemptive left pulmonary artery (LPA) stenting. We hypothesized that LPA stenting promotes adequate growth and without compromising Fontan candidacy. Herewith, we report our midterm results.

METHODS: From 2002 to 2020, 159 patients underwent CS2. Patients were divided as follows: no stent (n = 122; Group 1) and perioperative LPA stent (n = 37; Group 2). Group 2 was subdivided according to unplanned stent (n = 17; Group 2a) or preemptive stent (n = 20; Group 2b). Relevant perioperative data was reviewed. Nonparametric statistics were utilized.

RESULTS: Median age and weight at surgery and hospital length of stay after CS2 did not differ between groups. Median cardiopulmonary bypass and crossclamp times were significantly greater in Group 1 (265 vs 243 minutes [ P  = .021] and 46 vs 26 minutes [ P  = .008]). In-hospital mortality was similar between Groups 1 and 2 (9.0% vs 18.9%, respectively [ P  = .1348]). Group 2b demonstrated a superior survival compared to Group 2a ( P  = .0335) but not Group 1 ( P  > .9999). Preemptive stenting significantly increased median hilar LPA diameter at CS2 exit angiogram compared with no stenting ( P  < .0001). Groups 2a and 2b significantly increased the pre-Fontan diameter of the hilar LPA when compared with Group 1 (6.1 and 6.8 vs 5.7 mm, respectively [ P  < .0001]). A further 120 patients underwent Fontan operation (75%). Median follow-up for Groups 1 and 2 were 7.4 and 3.0 years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative LPA stenting during CS2 does not adversely affect pulmonary growth. Preemptive stenting seems advantageous for LPA growth in preparation for Fontan completion.