Double-barrel Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation is better than end-to-side Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation for preserving the pulmonary valve function: The importance of preserving the shape of the pulmonary sinus

ObjectiveThe Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation sometimes results in deteriorating semilunar valve insufficiency. We verified the semilunar valve function after the Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation and compared the end-to-side Damus–Kaye–Stansel with the double-barrel Damus–Kaye–Stansel.MethodsForty-seven patients who underwent the Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation between June 1993 and August 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Any patient who underwent a Norwood-type operation was excluded. The median age at operation was 19 months (range, 0–276 months). Forty-five patients were Fontan candidates. Thirty-nine patients underwent pulmonary artery banding before the Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation. Twenty-two patients had undergone an arch repair previously. The semilunar valve function was evaluated by echocardiography.ResultsThirteen patients underwent the end-to-side Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation, and 34 patients underwent the double-barrel Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation. The mean follow-up period was 71 ± 50 months (range, 1–188 months). Although there were 4 deaths, no death was related to the Damus–Kaye–Stansel procedure. Two of the patients with early death could not undergo a postoperative evaluation of the semilunar valves. The semilunar valve regurgitation mildly deteriorated in 7 patients (pulmonary regurgitation in 5 patients and aortic regurgitation in 2 patients). Pulmonary regurgitation deteriorated from none to mild in 1 patient, none to trivial in 2 patients, and trivial to mild in 2 patients. Both deteriorations in aortic regurgitation ranged from none to trivial. Semilunar valve regurgitation did not affect patients' circulatory condition. The end-to-side Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation more frequently caused a deterioration in pulmonary regurgitation than the double-barrel Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation (4/11 vs 1/34, P = .001). No surgical intervention for a systemic ventricular outflow obstruction was observed in the follow-up period.ConclusionsThe double-barrel Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation was found to be superior to the end-to-side Damus–Kaye–Stansel operation for the prevention of postoperative pulmonary regurgitation.