Critical aortic stenosis in the first month of life: Surgical results in 26 infants

Between 1980 and 1989, 26 infants aged less than 1 month underwent open aortic valvotomy for critical aortic stenosis. All had congestive heart failure requiring inotropic agents (58%), ventilation (42%), and/or prostaglandin E₁ (35%) preoperatively. Nine patients with isolated aortic stenosis had an operative mortality of 0%, whereas 17 patients with other anatomical lesions had a 47% mortality (p < 0.01). Univariate analysis failed to identify additional risk factors other than year of operation (p < 0.05). There were four late deaths, three probably related to arrhythmia (actuarial survival at 113 months = 0.53). Two patients have required late reoperation; neither required valve replacement.