• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.7
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• pp.511-516
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• 2002

Background: This study was undertaken in infant patients with isolated ventricular septal defect(VSD) to determine the effect of surgical closure on ventricular systolic time interval, as a parameter for ventricular performance, by echocardiography. Material and Method: Thirty patients were enrolled. Mean age of patients at operation was 6.5$\pm$3.2 months and all patients had non-restrictive VSD. We checked the left atrium/aorta(LA/Ao) ratio, left ventricle ejection fraction(EF), left ventricular systolic time interval(LVSTI), and right ventricular systolic time interval(RVSTI). Echocardiographic studies were done before surgical correction and postoperative periods(postopl: within 2 weeks, postop2: between 4 and 6 months, postop3: between 1 and 2 years). Result: LA/Ao ratio decreased significantly at immediate postoperative period compared to preoperative period and sustained during further follow-up period(from 1.74$\pm$0.37 to 1.36$\pm$0.24＊, 1.32$\pm$0.22＊, and 1.27$\pm$0.19＊, p<0.01). LV EF had not changed during follow-up periods(from 65.1$\pm$7.0 to 62.3$\pm$9.5, 62.8$\pm$5.7, and 64.1$\pm$6.9). LVSTI decreased significantly at postop2 and sustained during further follow-up period (from 0.46$\pm$0.13 to 0.46$\pm$0.11, 0.37$\pm$0.08＊, and 0.34$\pm$0.07＊, p<0.01). RVSTI decreased significantly at postop3(0.33$\pm$0.08 to 0.32$\pm$0.08, 0.31$\pm$0.07, and 0.27$\pm$0.05＊, p<0.01). Conclusion: We found that right and left ventricular systolic time intervals had decreased over the period of 1 year after surgical correction of VSD. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the change of ventricular function during that period.