Modified ultrafiltration may improve postoperative pulmonary function in children with a ventricular septal defect

To evaluate the effectiveness of modified ultrafiltration (MUF) on ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair in children, we retrospectively examined 10 patients who underwent VSD repair with MUF at the Kinki University School of Medicine hospital between June 1998, and December 1998 (MUF group). These patients were compared with 14 patients who underwent the same procedure without MUF (control group) between January 1997 and June 1993. Systolic blood pressure and hematocrit values increased significantly during MUF. By the time of postoperative transfer to the intensive care unit, PaO2 was higher in the MUF group than in the control group (503.3 +/- 112.2 mmHg lis 376.3 +/- 149.2 mmHg; P = 0.0491), whereas A-aDO(2) was lower in the MUF group than in the control group (171.3 +/- 109.2 mmHg vs 301.1 x 150.4 mmHg; P = 0.0449). These findings demonstrate that R/IUF had a beneficial effect on pulmonary function in children who underwent surgery to repair a VSD.