Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2003;11:229-232
© 2003 Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd
Accordion-Like Prosthesis for Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt
Antonio F Corno, MD,
Michel Hurni, MD,
Piergiorgio Tozzi, MD,
Ludwig K von Segesser, MD
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
For reprint information contact: Antonio F Corno, MD Tel: 41 21 314 2280 Fax: 41 21 314 2278 email: antonio.corno{at}chuv.hospvd.ch Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, 46 rue du Bugnon, CH-1011, Lausanne, Switzerland.
From March 1996 to July 2002, 26 consecutive patients, with a mean age of 17.9 months and a mean body weight of 6.6 kg, underwent the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt with a tubular accordion-like prosthesis. In a mean follow-up period (defined as the interval between the shunt procedure and repair or last evaluation) of 10.9 months (range, 1 to 32 months), there were 1 death due to excessive pulmonary blood flow in a neonate with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and 3 reoperations to correct shunt-related problems, 2 of them early and 1 late (to regulate pulmonary blood flow after left ventricular retraining for transposition of the great arteries). There was no occurrence of shunt obstruction or kinking. Other shunt-related early complications, such as bleeding, infection, or serous fluid leakage, did not occur, and no patient needed pulmonary artery reconstruction during surgical repair. Shunt patency was confirmed by Doppler echocardiography in all patients and also by angiography in 73% of the patients. This prospective study confirmed our preliminary results with this prosthesis. The use of this prosthesis is justified for reducing early and late complications potentially associated with the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, particularly distortion of the pulmonary arteries.
Copyright © 2003 by the Asia Publishing EXchange Ltd.
