New surgical approach to palliate tricuspid atresia in infants.
An experimental surgical technique is proposed to increase pulmonary blood flow in tricuspid atresia with normally related great arteries. The method consists of the creation of ventricular septal defect in the infundibular septum by means of a closed surgical procedure. The expected advantage would be the growth of the right ventricular cavity. This would permit performance of a Fontan's procedure later, using the right atrium and the right ventricle. Microscopic sections from the hearts of 4 infants showed no damage in the conduction system. When performed in the beating hearts of dogs, the feasibility of the procedure was tested repeatedly without production of rhythm disturbances.
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000473:pathology; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008722:Methods; D010166:Palliative Care; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery