Pulmonary arterial hypertension confirmed by right heart catheterization following COVID-19 pneumonia: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH)is a disease of the arterioles resulting in an increased resistance in pulmonary circulation with associated high pressures in the pulmonary arteries,causing irreversible remodeling of the pulmonary arterial walls.Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has been associated with development of new onset PAH in the literature leading to symptoms of dyspnea,cough and fatigue that persist in spite of resolution of acute COVID-19 infection.However,the majority of these cases of COVID related PAH were diagnosed using echocardiographic data or via right heart catheterization in mechanically ventilated patients.CASE SUMMARY Our case is the first reported case of COVID related PAH diagnosed by right heart catheterization in a non-mechanically ventilated patient.Right heart catheterization has been the gold standard for diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension.Our patient had right heart catheterization four months after her initial COVID-19 infection due to persistent dyspnea.CONCLUSION This revealed new onset PAH that developed following her infection with COVID-19,an emerging sequela of the infection.

“I Dread the Heart Surgery but it Keeps My Child Alive”—Experiences of Parents of Children with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Anomalies during the Assessment for Cardiac Reoperation

Background:Parents of children with complex right ventricular outflow tract(RVOT)anomalies are confronted with their child’s need for heart surgery early in life and repeated reoperations later on.Preoperative assessment needs to be performed whenever an indication for reoperation is suspected.The aim was to illuminate the experiences of parents of children diagnosed with RVOT anomalies,in particular,how they experience their child’s heart disease and everyday life during the assessment and after the decision on whether to perform a reoperation.Method:Individual interviews(n=27)were conducted with nine parents on three occasions between 2014 and 2016 and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results:The analysis resulted in the following five main coexisting themes:The heart surgery keeps my child alive illuminates parents’experiences during and after the assessment and emphasizes that heart surgery,although dreaded,is central for their child’s survival;Everyday struggles illuminates the different struggles parents had to face to ensure that their child would be in the best possible condition;the remaining three themes,Unconditional love,Trust in life,and Togetherness,illuminate the ways in which the parents gained inner strength and confidence in their everyday lives.Conclusion:Although the parents were grateful for the assessment and had learned to navigate among the fears it aroused,they experienced several distressing situations during the assessment process that should be addressed.By inviting both the parents and their child to participate in the child’s care,individualized support can take into account the needs of both parents and child.

Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair and Right Atrial Plication Performed Using a Beating-Heart Technique for Atrial Functional Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

Background: Isolated tricuspid valve disease remains a controversial indication for surgical intervention. Many patients referred for surgery already have a poor clinical condition and an advanced New York Heart Association functional class. There is no consensus on the optimal surgical technique for this condition, including on whether to perform the procedure on a beating or an arrested heart and whether to perform valve repair or replacement. Methods: We analyzed four case series between 2015 and 2022 in which patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) underwent valve repair on a beating heart and right atrial plication for a dilated right atrium. The TRI-SCORE was calculated for each patient. Results: All patients experienced a favorable postoperative course with significant improvements in heart failure symptoms. TR was markedly reduced;however, in one patient with concomitant mitral regurgitation (MR) and a high TRI-SCORE, MR worsened postoperatively. This patient later died from unknown causes due to multiple comorbidities in the late phase. Conclusions: Tricuspid valve repair on a beating heart was effective for improving the cardiac function, and the TRI-SCORE proved useful as a preoperative risk assessment tool. The underlying mechanism by which TR exacerbates MR requires further investigation.

Valvuloplasty of fetal pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and hypoplastic right heart: Mid-term follow-up results

Objective:This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the results of mid-term follow-up after fetal pulmonary valvuloplasty(FPV)in fetuses with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum(PA/IVS).Methods:From August 31,2018,to May 31,2019,seven fetuses with PA/IVS and hypoplastic right heart were included in this study.All underwent echocardiography by the same specialist and were operated on by the same team.Intervention and echocardiography data were collected,and changes in the associated indices noted during follow-up were analyzed.Results:All seven fetuses successfully underwent FPV.The median gestational age at FPV was 27.54 weeks.The average FPV procedural time was 6 min.Persistent bradycardia requiring treatment occurred in 4/7 procedures.Finally,five pregnancies were successfully delivered,and the other two were aborted.Compared to data before fetal cardiac interventions(FCI),tricuspid valve annulus diameter/mitral valve annulus diameter(TV/MV)and right ventricle diameter/left ventricle diameter(RV/LV)of all fetuses had progressively improved.The maximum tricuspid regurgitation velocity decreased from 4.60 m/s to 3.64 m/s.The average follow-up time was 30.40±2.05 months.During the follow-up period,the diameter of the tricuspid valve ring in five children continued to improve,and the development rate of the tricuspid valve was relatively obvious from 6 months to 1 year after birth.However,the development of the right ventricle after birth was relatively slow.It was discovered that there were individual variations in the development of the right ventricle during follow-up.Conclusion:The findings support the potential for the development of the right ventricle and tricuspid valve in fetuses with PA/IVS who underwent FCI.Development of the right ventricle and tricuspid valve does not occur synchronously during pregnancy.The right ventricle develops rapidly in utero,but the development of tricuspid valve is more apparent after birth than in utero.

Relationship between lipidslevelsand right ventricular volume overload in congestive heart failure

BackgroundThe relationship between lipids and coronary artery disease has been well established. However, this is not the case between lipids and heart failure. Ironically, high lipid levels are associated with better outcomes in heart failure, but the mechan-isms underlying the phenomenon are not fully understood. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that reduced intestinal lipid absorption due to venous congestion may lead to low lipid levels.MethodsWe collected data of clinical characteristics, echocardio-graph, and lipid profile in 442 unselected patients with congestive heart failure. Correlations between lipid levels[including total cho-lesterol（TCL）, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C）, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）, and triglycerides（TG）]and right ventricle end diastolic diameter （RVEDD）, left ventricle end diastolic diameter （LVEDD）, right atrium diameter （RA）, left atrium diameter （LA）, or left ventricle ejection fraction （LVEF） were analyzed using Pearson correlation and partial correlation. RVEDD, LVEDD, RA, and LA were indexed to the body surface area.ResultsThere was a significantly inverse correlation between TCL le-vels and RVEDD （r=-0.34,P〈0.001） and RA （r=-0.36,P〈0.001）. Other lipids such as LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG had asimilar inverse correlation with RVEDD and RA. All these correlations remained unchanged after adjusting for age, gender, smoking status, physical activity levels, comorbidities, and medication use.ConclusionsLipid levels were inversely correlated to RVEDD in patients with congestive heart failure; however, because this was an observational study, further investigation is needed to verify our results as wellas identify a causal relationship, if any.

Systemic right ventricle complications in levo-transposition of the great arteries: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Congenitally corrected levo-transposition of the great arteries(L-TGA)is a congenital heart disease in which the ventricles and great arteries are transposed from their typical anatomy.In L-TGA,the double discordance,atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial,create an acyanotic milieu which allows patients to survive their early decades,however,progressive systemic right ventricle(sRV)dys-function creates complications later in life.sRV dysfunction and remodeling predisposes patients to intracardiac thrombus(ICT)formation.CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old male with L-TGA presented with symptoms of acute decom-pensated heart failure.In childhood,he had surgical repair of a ventricular septal defect.In adulthood,he developed sRV dysfunction,systemic tricuspid valve(sTV)regurgitation,and left-bundle branch block for which he underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy.Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a sRV ejection fraction of 40%,severe sTV regurgitation,and a newly identified sRV ICT.ICT was confirmed by ultrasound-enhancing agents and transesophageal echocardio-graphy.Our patient was optimized with guideline-directed medical therapy and diuresis.Anticoagulation was achieved with a vitamin K antagonist(VKA)and he was later referred for evaluation by advanced heart failure and heart transplant services.CONCLUSION Anticoagulation with VKA is the mainstay of treatment in the absence of conclusive data supporting direct oral anticoagulant use in ICT in patients with congenital heart disease.This case illustrates the natural history of L-TGA and highlights the importance of surveillance and monitoring with dedicated cardiac imaging to identify complications.

Comparison of clinical outcomes and postoperative recovery between two open heart surgeries:minimally invasive right subaxillary vertical thoracomy and traditional median sternotomy

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of minimally invasive right subaxillary vertical thoracotomy and traditional median stemotomy through right atrium in treatment of common congenital heart diseases. Methods: Clinical data of 59 cases of common congenital heart diseases treated with minimally invasive right axillary vertical thoracotomy from May, 2011 to February, 2013 and 77 cases of same diseases with traditional median stemotomy in the past three years were retrospectively analyzed, including atrial septal defect, membranous ventricular septal defect and partial endocardial cushion defect. The results were compared from the two groups, including the time for operation and cardiopulmonary bypass, amount of blood transfusion, postoperative drainage, ventilation time, hospital stay, and prognosis. Results: No severe complications happened in both groups, like deaths or secondary surgery caused by bleeding. No significant differences were in CPB time and postoperative ventilator time between groups (P>0.05), while for all of the operative time, the length of incision, postoperative drainage and hospital stay, minimally invasive right axillary vertical thoracotomy was superior to median stemotomy, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In six month followup after operation, no complications of residual deformity and pericardial effusion were found in both groups by doing echocardiography, but mild pectus carinatum was found in 8 patients in the traditional median sternotomy group (traditional group), whereas patients in another group were well recovered. Conclusions: Minimally invasive right subaxillary vertical thoracotomy for common congenital heart diseases is as safe as traditional median stemotomy, without the increasing incidence of postoperative complications. Additionally, compared with traditional median stemotomy, minimally - invasive right subaxillary vertical thoracotomy is better in the aspects of hidden incision, appearance, and postoperative recovery.

Does Right Coronary Artery Stenosis Increase Morbi-Mortality in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease?

Background: The association of right coronary artery (RCA) stenosis in patients undergoing myocardial revascularization for left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis affects the prognosis. This study aimed to compare immediate results of patients with isolated LMCA stenosis and those with combined RCA stenosis. Patients and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 107 consecutive patients with LMCA disease who underwent coronary artery bypass grafts. The patients were divided into two groups: isolated LMCA stenosis (n = 36) and LMCA stenosis + RCA stenosis (n = 71). Different variables (preoperative, intra operative and post operative) were compared. Results: Patients with LMCA stenosis + RCA stenosis experienced higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.024) and smoker (p = 0.032). Also left ventricular EF was reduced (p = 0.004). Myocardial revascularization was more complete in patients with LMCA stenosis + RCA stenosis (p = 0.033), but in-hospital mortality rate was higher (12.6% vs 5.5%) in isolated LLMCA stenosis, but it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.32). Except low output syndrome (LOS) that was frequent in presence of RCA stenosis (p = 0.026), no significant difference was found between groups for other complications. Conclusion: The presence of RCA stenosis in patients undergoing CABG for LMCA disease increases 30 day mortality but without significant impact on overall morbidities.

Left Radial Approach versus Right Radial Approach of Coronary Angiography in the Diagnosis of Coronary Heart Disease

Background: Transradial coronary angiography has established itself as safe alternative to transfemoral approach. Today, the artery of approach lies completely on the operator’s choice. The Right Radial Approach (RRA) has been a favorite for most of the interventional cardiologists due to the convenience in operating from the right side. The Left Radial Approach (LRA) has always been a neglected route. LRA does have many advantages over the right, the vascular anatomy being one of them. The aim of our study was to compare the right radial approach of diagnostic coronary angiography with left radial approach. Method: A total of 70 cases of Coronary Angiography (CAG) with normal Allen test and satisfying the inclusion criteria were prospectively observed and studied after randomly assigning them into two equal groups, LRA (Left Radial Approach) n = 35 and RRA (Right Radial Approach) n = 35. Multipurpose TIG (Tiger) catheter was used in both the approaches to catheterize the right as well as left coronary artery. Results: The access time, catheter manipulation time, procedure time, amount of contrast used, hospital stay, intensity of pain experienced, cost of the procedure and quality of coronary angiogram observed were statistically insignificant while the fluoroscopy time was slightly statistically significant which was independent to catheter manipulation time. Conclusions: The neglected Left Radial Approach to coronary angiography is as efficacious, safe and cost effective with reduction in arterial spasm complications when compared to the Right Radial Approach performed by multipurpose Tiger catheter.

Cortical infarction of the right parietal lobe and neurogenic heart disease A report of three cases

Three male patients were diagnosed with new cortical infarctions of the right parietal lobe on the basis of head magnetic resonance imaging; high-intensity signals indicating lesions in the right parietal lobe were noted on diffusion-weighted images at admission. Two of them presented with left hand weakness, and one exhibited left upper limb weakness. Treatment for improving blood supply to the brain was administered. One patient died suddenly because of ventricular fibrillation 3 days after admission. The other two patients had increased troponin levels and abnormal electrocardiograms, and were diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction half a month after admission. When lesions exist in field 7 of the parietal cortex （resulting in paralysis of the contralateral hand）, the sympathetic center of the posterior lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus demonstrates compensatory excitement, which easily causes tachyarrhythmia and sudden death. Our experimental findings indicate that close electrocardiograph monitoring and cerebral infarction treatment should be standard procedures to predict and help prevent heart disease in patients with cerebral infarction in the right parietal lobe and left upper limb weakness as the main complaint.

SUCCESSFUL RESECTION OF CARDIAC ANGIOSARCOMA COMBINED WITH RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING

ANGIOSARCOMA is the most common primary malignant cardiac tumor. Until recently, the diagnosis is often not established until the tumor is advanced with vital cardiac structure involved or distal metastasis, mainly because the symptoms are initially nonspecific. The natural history of cardiac angiosarcoma is characterized by a short clinical course and a fatal outcome. Surgical resection remains the preferential therapy for palliation or cure, whereas irradiation and chemotherapy have only limited use. We herein reported a successful radical resection of cardiac angiosarcoma with concomitant reconstruction of right coronary artery, tricuspid leaflet, and atrial wall. The literature on cardiac angiosarcomas is reviewed extensively, with emphasis on presentation and surgical management.

Consideration of the Necessity of Prophylactic Bypass Grafting for Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery—Based on a Case with Concomitant Left Main Trunk Disease Resuscitated from Cardiopulmonary Arrest

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery is a rare congenital anomaly, but is associated with sudden death. Originating from the opposite sinus of Valsalva, an interarterial?course and an intramural course are especially considered as the risk factor for fatal cardiac events. Surgical indication remains controversial because many patients are asymptomatic. A 52-year-old man with anomalous origin of the right coronary artery with an interarterial?course concomitant with the left main trunk disease was resuscitated from cardiopulmonary arrest. It was likely to be attributed to the left main trunk disease, but anatomical structure of the right coronary artery suggests its possible involvement. Prophylactic bypass grafting for the right coronary artery was performed using saphenous vein graft without ligating native vessel to prevent future cardiac events, as well as revascularization of the left main trunk disease. All grafts were patent in one-year follow-up coronary angiography. Any cardiac event has not occurred.

Simultaneous ramp right heart catheterization and echocardiography in a Reliant Heart left ventricular assist device

Many clinicians caring for patients with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices(CF-LVAD) use ramp right heart catheterization(RHC) studies to optimize pump speed and also to troubleshoot CF-LVAD malfunction. An investigational device,the Reliant Heart Heart Assist 5(Houston,TX),provides the added benefit of an ultrasonic flow probe on the outflow graft that directly measures flow through the CF-LVAD. We performed a simultaneous ramp RHC and echocardiogram on a patient who received the above CF-LVAD to optimize pump parameters and investigate elevated flow through the CF-LVAD as measured by the flow probe. We found that the patient's hemodynamics were optimized at their baseline pump speed,and that the measured cardiac output via the Fick principle was lower than that measured by the flow probe. Right heart catheterization may be useful to investigate discrepancies between flow measured by a CF-LVAD and a patient's clinical presentation,particularly in investigational devices where little clinical experience exists. More data is needed to elucidate the correlation between the flow measured by an ultrasonic probe and cardiac output as measured by RHC.

Effects of Feixinning Capsules on BODE Index,CRP and Quality of Life in AECOPD Patients with Right Heart Failure

[Objectives]To investigate the therapeutic effect of Feixinning Capsules on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)complicated with right heart failure.[Methods]A total of 60 cases of AECOPD patients with right heart failure and phlegm-heat syndrome were randomly selected as the study subjects,and were divided into the Feixinning group(n=30)and the control group(n=30).The Feixinning group was treated with Feixinning Capsules combined with conventional western medicine,and the control group was treated with conventional western medicine.The pulmonary function,CRP,CAT score,BODE index item index,and EQ-5D index were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.[Results]After treatment,the pulmonary function,CRP,CAT score,6MWD,mMRC,BODE score and EQ-5D index in the Feixinning group were significantly improved compared with the control group(P<0.05),and there was no statistical difference in the change of BMI index(P>0.05).[Conclusions]Feixinning Capsules can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and quality of life of patients with AECOPD complicated with right heart failure and phlegm-heat syndrome.

“A Prospective Randomized Case-Control Study To Evaluate Mini Right Thoracotomy versus Conventional Sternotomy For Mitral Valve Repair In Rheumatic Heart Disease.”

Purpose: Right mini thoracotomy has been evaluated in many studies for mitral valve repair mainly in degenerative valvular disease but not in rheumatic heart disease. Mitral valve repair is more challenging in rheumatic etiology due to complexity of lesions. This prospective randomized case control study was designed to evaluate repair through mini right thoracotomy and to compare the clinical and echocardiographic outcomes with sternotomy in rheumatic patients. Methods: 25 patients of rheumatic heart disease underwent mitral valve repair through mini right thoracotomy (group I). Various clinical and functional parameters were compared with 25 patients of mitral valve repair through sternotomy (group II). On follow up the results were compared in both groups for clinical and echocardiographic parameters. Results: The various pre-operative demographic parameters were comparable in two groups. Equal rate of mitral valve repair (group I-21/25, 84% and group II-21/25, 84%) was achieved in both groups. The various intra-operative and post-operative clinical parameters were better in group I .There were equivalent functional and valve related outcomes in both groups in term of NYHA class (1.28 ± 0.613 vs 1.08 ± 0.276, P = 0.144), post-operative mitral valve area (2.43 ± 0.891 vs 2.82 ± 0.662, P = 0.090), incidence of more than mild mitral regurgitation (0) and mean pressure gradient across mitral valve (4.98 ± 3.33 vs 4.23 ± 1.5, P = 0.309). Conclusion: Mitral valve repair through mini right thoracotomy approach in rheumatic etiology is feasible and safe with equivalent rate of successful repair as compared to median sternotomy. It is associated with lesser morbidity, cosmetic advantage and lesser resource utilization.

Role of Surgery on Growth of Tricuspid Valve in Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum:Mid-Term Results of Modified Right-Ventricular Overhauling Procedure

Objectives:To access the effectiveness of our modified right-ventricular overhauling procedure on tricuspid valve(TV)growth in patients with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum(PAIVS).Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 21 patients with PAIVS who underwent modified right ventricular overhauling(mRVoh)between 2008 and 2019 at two institutions.Our mRVoh consisted of wide resection of hypertrophied infundibular and trabecular muscle,peeling off fibrotic endocardial tissue in the right ventricle(RV)cavity,surgical pulmonary valvotomy,and Blalock-Taussig shunt or banding of ductus arteriosus under cardiopulmonary bypass.The TV annulus sizes were measured and analyzed using echocardiography before and after mRVoh.Results:No mortalities were observed during a median follow-up of 3 years(interquartile range:1.3–4.7 years)of follow-up were noted.mRVoh was performed at a median age of 163.5 days(range:21–560 days),including seven neonates and two infants(<60 days).During follow-up,the median TV annular z-score increased significantly from−2.24 to−1.15 before and after mRVoh(p=0.004).In ten patients with a prior history of percutaneous interventions for RV outflow tract(RVOT)widening at least 6 months before mRVoh,the TV annular z-score significantly changed during the period after mRVoh(−2.03 to−1.61,p=0.028)compared with the period before mRVoh(−2.51→–2.03,p=0.575)after percutaneous intervention only.Conclusions:mRVoh in PAIVS patients was positively associated with TV annular growth,and it was more effective than percutaneous RVOT widening interventions without mRVoh.

A Heterozygous Phospholamban Variant(p.R14del)Leads to Left Ventricular Involvement and Heart Failure Phenotypes in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and clinical features of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy(ARVC)caused by pathogenic mutations in the Phospholamban(PLN)gene.The study included 170 patients who had a confrmed diagnosis of ARVC and underwent PLN genetic screening using next-generation sequencing.The fndings of this study provide valuable insights into the association between PLN mutations and ARVC,which can aid in the development of more efective diagnostic and treatment strategies for ARVC patients.Out of the patients evaluated,six had a rare pathogenic mutation in PLN with the same p.R14del variant.Family screening revealed that heterozygous carriers of p.R14del exhibited a defnite ARVC phenotype.In clinical studies,individuals with the p.R14del mutation experienced a similar rate of malignant arrhythmia events as those with classic desmosome mutations.After adjusting for covariates,individuals with PLN mutations had a two point one seven times greater likelihood of experiencing transplant-related risks compared to those who did not possess PLN mutations(95%CI 1.08–6.82,p=0.035).The accumulation of left ventricular fat and fbers is a pathological marker for ARVC patients with p.R14del mutations.In a cohort of 170 Chinese ARVC patients,three point fve percent of probands had the PLN pathogenic variant(p.R14del)and all were female.Our data shows that PLN-related ARVC patients are at high risk for ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure,which requires clinical diferentiation from classic ARVC.Furthermore,carrying the p.R14del mutation can be an independent prognostic risk factor in ARVC patients.

Anesthetic management of a child with double outlet right ventricle and severe polycythemia: A case report

BACKGROUND Double outlet right ventricle(DORV)is a rare and complex congenital heart defect,and the surgical repairs vary with type and pathophysiology consequences.Due to prolonged progressive hypoxemia,severe polycythemia is common in patients with DORV,which ultimately leads to coagulation dysfunction and increases the risk of thrombosis and infarction.Consequently,the anesthetic management is challenging and how to manage severe polycythemia and avoid hypoxia-related complications in such patients is of great significance.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we report the anesthetic management of a 10-year-old female patient with a DORV.She lived in the low-oxygen Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and presented with severe polycythemia(hemoglobin,24.8 g/dL;hematocrit,75%).She underwent a modified Fontan surgery,which was satisfactory and without any perioperative complications.Our anesthetic management highlights the importance of perioperative hemodilution in decreasing the risk of thromboembolism and the importance of correcting coagulopathy in preventing hemorrhage.CONCLUSION Anesthetic management is challenging in rare cyanotic congenital heart disease patients with severe polycythemia.It is important to adopt perioperative hemodilution and correction of coagulopathy in preventing thrombosis and hemorrhage.

Rapid right ventricular pacing for balloon valvuloplasty in congenital aortic stenosis:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Balloon aortic valvuloplasty(BAV)is a well-established treatment modality for congenital aortic valve stenosis.AIM To evaluate the role of rapid right ventricular pacing(RRVP)in balloon stabilization during BAV on aortic regurgitation(AR)in pediatric patients.METHODS A systematic review of the MEDLINE,Cochrane Library,and Scopus databases was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines(end-of-search date:July 8,2020).The National Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute and Newcastle-Ottawa scales was utilized for quality assessment.RESULTS Five studies reporting on 72 patients were included.The studies investigated the use of RRVP-assisted BAV in infants(>1 mo)and older children,but not in neonates.Ten(13.9%)patients had a history of some type of aortic valve surgical or catheterization procedure.Before BAV,58(84.0%),7(10.1%),4(5.9%)patients had AR grade 0(none),1(trivial),2(mild),respectively.After BAV,34(49.3%),6(8.7%),26(37.7%),3(4.3%),patients had AR grade 0,1,2,and 3(moderate),respectively.No patient developed severe AR after RRVP.One(1.4%)developed ventricular fibrillation and was defibrillated successfully.No additional arrhythmias or complications occurred during RRVP.CONCLUSION RRVP can be safely used to achieve balloon stability during pediatric BAV,which could potentially decrease AR rates.