Birmingham-led study seeks to improve child heart surgery recovery

Alfie Donnelly has had to undergo three open heart surgeries at Birmingham Children's Hospital

A clinical trial will seek to improve recovery times for children who have undergone heart surgery.

The British Heart Foundation-funded trial will involve 220 children and focus on those who require open heart surgery to repair congenital defects.

Hospitals in Birmingham, Bristol, London and Leeds are taking part.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Birmingham, will compare two fluids which are used to stop the heart beating during operations.

The aim is to see which results in the best recovery.

Claire Donnelly from Birmingham, whose son Alfie has needed three open-heart surgeries, said the study gave families like hers hope.

During these operations a fluid called cardioplegia is commonly used to stop the heart beating so that the surgeon can repair it safely.

The £570,000 study will compare a version called del Nido cardioplegia, which is used in the United States with St Thomas' cardioplegia, which has been used for many years in both adults and children in the UK.

Half the children will get one fluid and the other half will get the other.

The research will be led by consultant Nigel Drury from Birmingham Children's Hospital and the University of Birmingham.

He said finding the best fluid to protect the heart during surgery could "lead to better long-term outcomes, with less injury and scarring to the heart muscle".

He also hoped to see if different age groups responded better to different fluids.

Nigel Drury hopes the study would result in children recovering from surgery faster and with fewer complications.

Alfie, who is aged nine and from Erdington, was born with various complex congenital heart diseases.

Mr Drury said children like him, who have had multiple surgeries, could benefit the most.

"Alfie's recovery after surgery has been slow and he has had further complications," his mother said.

"Following his first and second surgery, Alfie had a build-up of fluid in his lungs and this required several chest drains, which meant spending further time in hospital."

And she said the study "gives us hope that children and babies with congenital heart disease, like Alfie, aren't being forgotten".