title: Very small pulmonary arteries: central end-to-side shunt.
abstract: Between 1980 and 1989, 28 patients with pulmonary atresia, ventricular septal defect, and very small pulmonary arteries with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries underwent direct central end-to-side shunts as staging procedures. Age range was 2 months to 32 years, with 19 patients less than 1 year of age. Pulmonary artery diameters ranged from 1 to 4 mm, with 24 less than 3 mm. Two patients (7%; 70% confidence limits, 2% to 16%) died after the shunt, and there were two further deaths after subsequent staging or correction. Acute shunt complications included congestive cardiac failure (mild to moderate, n = 8; severe, n = 3) and endocarditis (n = 1). Proximal right pulmonary artery stenoses have occurred in 75% of patients and left pulmonary artery stenoses, in 50%. Satisfactory pulmonary artery growth was achieved, however, in 16 of 24 hospital survivors investigated postoperatively. Twelve patients have proceeded through unifocalization to biventricular repair (in 2 the ventricular septal defect patch was subsequently fenestrated) with one death (8.3%; 70% confidence limits, 1% to 25%). Eight patients are still in staging, and 4 have been excluded from the program because of inadequate unifocalization. The direct central end-to-side shunt has proven satisfactory in attaining pulmonary artery growth in patients with very small central pulmonary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Unit, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Watterson
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Karl
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000002:abnormalities*