Abstract:Objective To investigate the application effect of establishing extracorporeal circulation through a small incision under the right axilla in infants undergoing direct vision heart surgery.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 185 cases of congenital heart disease in children (aged 3 to 12 months) who underwent cardiac surgery in the Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2018 to February 2022. Among them, 98 cases had atrial septal defect, and 87 cases had ventricular septal defect. The patients were divided into two groups: the mid-sternum incision group (group A) and the right axillary small incision group (group B), based on different surgical methods. The surgical time, extracorporeal circulation time, aortic clamping time, postoperative hospital stay, ICU stay, duration of endotracheal intubation, chest drainage volume in the first 24 hours after surgery, FLACC score, satisfaction of children's families with the incision, and the occurrence of complications were compared between groups A and B for children with atrial and ventricular septal defects.Results For children with atrial septal defect, there were no statistically significant differences in surgical time, extracorporeal circulation time, and aortic clamping time between groups A and B (P > 0.05). The hospital stay, ICU stay, and duration of endotracheal intubation in group B were shorter than those in group A (P < 0.05), and the chest drainage volume in the first 24 hours after surgery was less than that in group A (P < 0.05). There were differences in FLACC scores at different time points for children with atrial septal defects (P < 0.05), and the FLACC score in group B was lower than that in group A (P < 0.05). The changes in FLACC scores between the two groups showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). The satisfaction score of children's families in group B was higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). No related complications occurred in children with atrial septal defects after surgery. For children with ventricular septal defect, there were no statistically significant differences in surgical time, extracorporeal circulation time, and aortic clamping time between groups A and B (P > 0.05). The hospital stay, ICU stay, and duration of endotracheal intubation in group B were shorter than those in group A (P < 0.05), and the chest drainage volume in the first 24 hours after surgery was less than that in group A (P < 0.05). There were differences in FLACC scores at different time points for children with ventricular septal defects (P < 0.05), and the FLACC score in group B was lower than that in group A (P < 0.05). The changes in FLACC scores between the two groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The satisfaction score of children's families in group B was higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). Two cases of chest deformity and one case of incision infection occurred in group A for children with ventricular septal defects; one case of postoperative lung collapse occurred in group B.Conclusion In the infant population, the treatment of congenital heart disease through a small incision under the right axilla is concealed, aesthetically pleasing, and causes minimal physical and psychological trauma to children. It results in shorter hospital stays, reduced postoperative duration of endotracheal intubation, decreased chest drainage volume, effective pain relief, better acceptance by children and their families, and superior clinical treatment outcomes compared to median sternotomy for congenital heart disease.