We conducted a retrospective observational study to evaluate the changes in intraoperative dynamic respiratory compliance (Cdyn) in 37 infants younger than 3 year of age undergoing surgical repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD). We measured Cdyn at surgical incision (Cdyn1), before cardio pulmonary bypass (CPB) (Cdyn2), after weaning from CPB (Cdyn3), before sternal closure (Cdyn4) and after sternal closure (Cdyn5). The following data
were recorded as background factors: age, sex, weight, chromosomal abnormality, pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs), pulmonary-to-systemic blood pressure ratio (Pp/Ps), mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), duration of CPB, duration of aortic cross-clamp and fluids balance during CPB. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Cdyn5 was significantly higher than Cdyn1. Cdyn2–4 showed significant change and had a tendency to increase in sequence. Patients with high Qp/Qs and those with high mPAP showed lower improvement in Cdyn between before and after surgery. A multiple regression analysis revealed that mPAP had the significant influence on the improvement of Cdyn. We conclude that surgical repair of VSD improvers Cdyn, and Cdyn increases with time during open chest surgery, and that improvement of Cdyn may be interrupted among patients with increased pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary hypertension.