Non-specific chest pain is one of the leading causes of admissions in paediatric cardiology outpatient clinics, and its management usually consists of extensive reassurance of patients and their families. As we have often observed that successful completion of treadmill testing during diagnostic work-up provides relief and reassurance in these patients and their families, we planned this study to quantitatively assess anxiety levels and perception of illness among children with non-specific chest pain before and after treadmill testing.

We studied 50 children (aged 11.8 ± 3.0 years, range 7–17 years; 24 females, 26 males) with a chief complaint of non-specific chest pain and negative history and echocardiography. They were asked to fill the Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale before the treadmill testing and 1–10 days after successful completion of treadmill testing.

Average total anxiety scores (36.38 ± 19.09 versus 33.36 ± 19.09, respectively) and average of total anxiety + depression scores (44.3 ± 24.92 versus 40.8 ± 26.97, respectively) of the children were found to be significantly lower after negative treadmill testing as compared to scores before testing (p < 0.05). Alterations in separation anxiety, panic, social phobia, obsession-compulsion scores were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Children with non-specific chest pain feel relieved and reassured after successful completion of treadmill testing. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first in the literature to show this relationship quantitatively.

Transposition of the great arteries is a severe CHD that affects term neonates. The presence of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries in neonatal transposition of the great arteries patients is rare. This study investigated the clinical and haemodynamic implications of the presence of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries in neonatal transposition of the great arteries patients who underwent an arterial switch operation.

The study was a retrospective analysis conducted on neonates diagnosed with transposition of the great arteries who underwent arterial switch operation within the period from 1 May 2020 to 1 January 2023 at two high-patient-volume paediatric cardiac surgery centres in Turkey. The patients’ demographic characteristics, echocardiographic features, and clinical data were analysed. Additionally, the possible clinical effects of the presence of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries were statistically evaluated.

Two hundred cases of neonatal transposition of the great arteries were included in this study, with 55% of the cases male. All the patients underwent arterial switch operation. The median age at the time of arterial switch operation was 5 days (interquartile range 3–7), with a median weight of 3,100 g (interquartile range 2,900–3,400). The median pre-operative saturation level was 76% (interquartile range 70–82%). Prior to arterial switch operation, 32 patients underwent balloon atrial septostomy.

In all the patients, the interatrial septum was checked to determine if the atrial septum was intact. A patent foramen ovale (≤ 3 mm) was found in 112 patients, and a non-restrictive atrial septal defect (> 3 mm) was found in 88. Forty-eight patients had ventricular septal defects, and 72 had coronary anomalies. Major aortopulmonary collateral arteries were found in 4 patients pre-operatively and in 12 patients after arterial switch operation (echocardiography, n = 8; angiography, n = 4). Of the patients with post-operative detection of cumulative number of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries were on post-operative day 1 in 2 patients, on post-operative day 3 in 5 patients, on post-operative day 7 in 6 patients, and on post-operative day 14 in 11 patients.

Transcatheter closure was performed in 3 cases due to recurrent extubation failure. Major aortopulmonary collateral artery shrinkage was observed in one case under medical treatment. The length of paediatric cardiac intensive care unit stay (10 days versus 8 days; p < 0.005), mechanical ventilator time (4 days versus 2 days; p = 0.02), and inotrope use time (5 days versus 3 days; p = 0.04) were higher in the major aortopulmonary collateral artery cases than patients without major aortopulmonary collateral artery.

Major aortopulmonary collateral arteries are frequent in transposition of the great arteries patients and may have clinical effects. The presence of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries should be investigated in patients who do not have a favourable post-operative course after arterial switch operation.

With advances in care, an increasing number of individuals with single-ventricle CHD are surviving into adulthood. Partners of individuals with chronic illness have unique experiences and challenges. The goal of this pilot qualitative research study was to explore the lived experiences of partners of individuals with single-ventricle CHD.

Partners of patients ≥18 years with single-ventricle CHD were recruited and participated in Experience Group sessions and 1:1 interviews. Experience Group sessions are lightly moderated groups that bring together individuals with similar circumstances to discuss their lived experiences, centreing them as the experts. Formal inductive qualitative coding was performed to identify salient themes.

Six partners of patients participated. Of these, four were males and four were married; all were partners of someone of the opposite sex. Themes identified included uncertainty about their partners’ future health and mortality, becoming a lay CHD specialist, balancing multiple roles, and providing positivity and optimism. Over time, they took on a role as advocates for their partners and as repositories of medical history to help navigate the health system. Despite the uncertainties, participants described championing positivity and optimism for the future.

In this first-of-its-kind pilot study, partners of individuals with single-ventricle CHD expressed unique challenges and experiences in their lives. There is a tacit need to design strategies to help partners cope with those challenges. Further larger-scale research is required to better understand the experiences of this unique population.

Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects is challenging. Double disk-designed devices have high adverse event rates; therefore, research into new devices persists. One such devise is the LifetechTM Konar-MF Occluder device (MFO), which is increasingly used. The purpose of this study is to present mid-term results of MFO for transcatheter closure of patients with perimembraneous ventricular septal defect.

Records of the 52 patients with perimembraneous ventricular septal defect who had undergone transcatheter closure with MFO were reviewed. Demographic, echocardiographic, and procedure details were investigated. Three years follow-up results were recorded.

We closed the perimembraneous ventricular septal defect in 51 of 52 patients (98%). The femoral venous approach was used in 27 patients (53 %) whilst no arteriovenous loop was established in the remaining patients. No significant procedure-related complication occurred. On day 1 echocardiography, the residual ventricular septal defect rate was 31%. Mean±SD (range) follow-up duration was 36 ± 7,9 (18–54) months. In the follow-up, at 6th months, only four patients had hemodynamically insignificant residual defects. No severe dysrhythmia was detected including complete heart block. A right bundle branch block pattern was seen in one patient.

This study showed that MFO is a safe and effective device in the transcatheter treatment of perimembraneous ventricular septal defect’s with mid-term follow-up.