2009 Volume 38 Issue 4 Pages 252-258
A 60-year-old man, who underwent repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD) 40 years previously, presented with dyspnea on effort and leg edema. Further examination showed residual VSD, mitral and tricuspid valve insufficiency, atrial flutter and pulmonary hypertension. We performed repair of the residual VSD, mitral valve replacement, tricuspid valve annuloplasty, and the Maze procedure. After surgery, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure decreased from 70 to 39 mmHg. On the 4th postoperative day, his hemodynamic state was stable and he weaned from ventilator. He showed hypoxia with sticky excretions, and reintubation was done 10 h after extubation. After intubation, pulmonary hypertension continued, nitroglycerine administration was not effective but inhaleted nitric oxide (NO) improved pulmonary hypertension. On the 15th postoperative day, sildenafil administration from nasogastric tube was started the day before extubation. On postoperative echocardiogram on the 35th postoperative day, the systolic pulmonary arterial pressure was 30-40 mmHg and left ventricular function was severely impaired because of the paradoxical movement of the ventricular septum after repair VSD. Sildenafil was safely used for the patient with heart failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital heart disease.
