[tri-med] Hopeful Publication/Cardiac Surgery/trisomy 18






Hello All, 

This publication just came out from Japan which provides some hopeful 
conclusions regarding the benefits of cardiac surgery for infants with Trisomy 
18

http://www.springerlink.com/content/948188q3353x7347/

My concern is that these kinds of studies seldom differentiate between children 
who have severe anomalies or other factors (weight, requirement for 
resuscitation at birth, apnea, tone etc) that might suggest a poor outcome from 
those who are more robust and for whom surgery might yield a more positive 
outcome. Such an approach would likely yield improved statistics from which 
decision making could be improved. 

In the case of Trisomy 13, a significant factor would include the common, but 
not always present brain anomaly, holoprosencephaly. 

It appears that in Ontario. the average evidence-based statistic that relates 
to all children with tri 13/18 independent of unique presentation appears to be 
applied for the purpose of ranking for surgical consult in the wait list 
strategy. Thus a diagnosis and consideration for surgery, based on a diagnosis 
of the specific type or nature of the surgery required is precluded from 
children who might benefit.  


Barb


_________________________________________________________________
Share photos with friends on Windows Live Messenger
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid?50734
                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

Other related posts: