Minimally invasive pulmonary artery banding: a new approach.
BACKGROUND
A variety of approaches have been described for banding of the pulmonary artery. The indications for this procedure are limited; however in developing countries, many patients still need pulmonary artery banding for a variety of reasons. We describe a new approach, minimally invasive, using only a split in the manubrium sterni to conduct the procedure.


RESULTS
Between January 2000 and May 2002, 19 patients who had undergone pulmonary artery banding using a minimally invasive technique were compared with 20 cases of pulmonary artery banding performed by the conventional technique. The mortality was similar in the two groups (p=0.45). The period of intubation and duration of intensive care unit stay were significantly shorter in the minimally invasive group (p=0.015 and 0.002, respectively). The duration of hospital stay was not significantly different between the 2 groups (p=0.139). In the minimally invasive group, three patients underwent subsequent reoperation.


CONCLUSIONS
Minimally invasive pulmonary artery banding is useful in babies with high-flow cardiac lesions and cardiac cachexia.
Bhan
Anil
A
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. anil_bhan@hotmail.com
Agarwal
Saket
S
Saxena
Pravin
P
Venugopal
Panangipalli
P
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*