Pediatric Cardiac Surgery In Eritrea: A retrospective analysis of 300 cardiac patients operated, 2002-2008.

A review of pediatric cardiac operations performed in the International Operation Center for Children in Asmara (IOCCA) between 2002 and 2008 was made. A total of 300 patients underwent corrective cardiac procedures during the time specified. Out of these, 273(91%) were patients suffering from congenital heart defects while the rest 27(9%) had acquired heart diseases. The female to male ratio was 1.4:1, and 157(52%) patients were under five years of age. 188(63%) of the procedures were open heart operations using the heart lung-machine and 112(37%) were closed heart operations without the cardiopulmonary bypass. The commonest operations performed were for PDA 103(34%), while the commonest open heart surgery was for VSD 74(25%). The mortality rate for patients operated was 7(2.3%) and the re-operation rate was 5(1.7%). The presence of an organized pediatric cardiac service in the country and its role in addressing different cardiac defects surgically and minimizing the cost of the procedures done elsewhere is emphasized