Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) at a tertiary care center and determine the influences of a coronary artery program on management strategies and outcomes. METHODS: This retrospective review of consecutive surgical patients who had isolated AAOCA at a tertiary care center between August 1, 1999, and October 31, 2022, compared patient characteristics, interventional timing, and surgical strategies before and after program inception in 2018. Comparisons between time periods and anatomical subgroups were performed using Fisher exact and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. RESULTS: Of 149 surgical AAOCA patients, 102 (69%) had AAO of the right coronary artery. Compared with AAO of the left coronary artery (AAOLCA), AAO of the right coronary artery (AAORCA) was associated with greater athletic participation (intramural, varsity, and college-level) (74% vs 43%; P < .001) and preoperative functional imaging (72% vs 49%; P = .01), but were less likely to have ischemic changes on functional imaging (5% vs 23%; P = .03) or any postoperative complications (7% vs 19%; P = .04). Moderate or greater aortic insufficiency occurred postoperatively in 1 (1%) of AAORCA and 1 (3%) of AAOLCA patients. After the coronary artery program inception, there was an increase among patients with AAOCA undergoing preoperative computed tomography angiography (pre-2018: 39 out of 98 [40%] vs post-2018: 48 out of 51 [94%]; P < .001) and a decrease in isolated AAOCA unroofing procedures performed (30 [31%] vs 5 [10%]; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of AAOCA evolved over time, and can be achieved with low instance of postoperative aortic insufficiency. Establishment of a coronary artery program has streamlined care.