Death from congenital heart disease (CHD) can be avoided, contributing to reduced infant mortality. The objective of this study was to identify the profile of patients undergoing surgical correction for CHD in three São Paulo State hospitals, and to determine factors that contribute to morbidity and mortality.

The Voluntary Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Multicenter Registry (ASSIST) was created in 2014 through a Research Grant Program for the Public Healthcare System (Pesquisas para o Sistema Único de Saúde, PPSUS)* project, a federal-state joint strategic public policies research grant, coordinated by the Hospital das Clínicas of Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de São Paulo (InCor-HCFMUSP-SP) and Ribeirão Preto's Hospital das Clínicas, both linked to the São Paulo University Medical School.

We analyzed 1,842 patients, with an average age of 1.2 (range 0.4–8.6) years, 50.9 percent were male. Procedural complexity was classified as “Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery” version 1 score, RACHS-1: 18.2 percent RACHS1, 25.5 percent RACHS2, 41.2 percent RACHS3, 9.6 percent RACHS4 and 5.4 percent RACHS5–6. Overall hospital mortality was 12.2 percent, and preoperative risk factors included: age <30 days (Odds Ratio, OR = 1.7 p = 0.012), prolonged ICU admission (OR = 3.3 p = 0.001). Other significant factors were RACHS score >4 (OR = 5.3 p < 0.001), heart dysfunction (OR = 3.4 p = 0.001), sepsis (OR = 3 p = 0.001), hemodynamic or surgical re-intervention required (OR = 6.2 p < 0.001), cardiorespiratory arrest (CPR, OR = 24.9 p < 0.001) and renal failure (OR = 5.4 p<0.001). The frequency of related morbidity was 16.2 heart failure, 7.1 percent arrythmia, 5.9 percent pneumonia, 5.9 percent pneumotórax, 4.2 percent pleural and pericardial effusion, 10 percent mechanical ventiation > 7 days, 13.2 percent late sternal closure, 2.8 percent had wound infection, 3.7 percent neurological alterations, 2.3 percent diaphragmatic dysfunction, 11.5 percent CPR, 3.2 percent renal failure, 4.5 percent sepsis, 55.1 percent length of hospital stay longer than 5 days with 45.8 percent postoperative hospital admission longer than 15 days and 6.1 percent needed surgical or hemodynamic re-intervention.

The information collected in the ASSIST registry was of great importance in the São Paulo State CHD surgical practice evaluation. Morbi-mortality related factors elicited critical points and allowed improvement actions. Excluding age and intrinsic procedure complexity, identified outcome modifier factors can be manageable, aiming to increase patient safety and program resolubility or performance.