The Blalock-Taussig shunt in the first six months of life.
Because of increasing interest in the application of the Blalock-Taussig shunt in smaller infants, we reviewed the course of 18 infants aged 6 months or less who underwent this procedure. The mortality rate in  4 infants under 2 weeks of age was 50 per cent and that in those 2 weeks to 6 months of age, 28 per cent. The patency rate was 70 per cent. Because of late problems with the Waterston shunt and a comparable mortality rate, the Blalock-Taussig procedure is recommended for all infants, except perhaps those under 2 weeks of age.
D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D013350:Subclavian Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000601:surgery; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000601:surgery; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality