Peritoneal Drainage after Surgical Intervention for Congenital Heart Disease

PURPOSE: Patients who undergo surgical intervention for congenital heart disease frequently develop abdominal ascites and elevated intraabdominal pressures. In this study, we review a single institution's experience with peritoneal drainage (PD) catheters in patients who have undergone surgical intervention for congenital heart disease. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients in whom PD catheters were placed after cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease over 5 years. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients received PD catheters after cardiac surgery. Twenty-seven (40.9%) were male. The mean age was 2.5 years (Range: 5 days - 23.3 years). Mean duration of therapy was 42.5 days (Range: 1-401 days). Thirty-seven (56.1%) patients received PD catheters within 30 days (Mean 11.2 days). Thirty-three (50%) patients survived. There were no differences in sex, age, duration of therapy, drain output, vasopressor requirement, or creatinine between survivors and nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION: While peritoneal drainage catheters may facilitate end organ perfusion and venous return, it is unclear whether they confer a survival advantage. In the setting of PD catheter placement, factors other than patient sex, age, and drain effectiveness, likely play a larger role in patient outcomes.