| Abstrakt: |
The shunting procedures devised by Blalock1 and Potts2 are accepted techniques for the treatment of certain children with congenital heart disease characterized by inadequate blood supply to the lungs. In managing cyanotic children it is customary, if possible, to delay surgery until they are between 4 and 8 years old. At that time special studies, including angiocardiography, may be done, if necessary, to determine the nature of the intracardiac lesion as well as the size and position of the pulmonary artery and aorta. Occasionally, an infant is so severely handicapped that surgical intervention becomes imperative before the optimal age is reached. It is our experience that the Potts-Smith-Gibson operation, which produces a direct communication between the descending aorta and the pulmonary artery, is technically most suitable for infants. Utilization of this procedure demands a prior knowledge of the location of the descending aorta, since its position determines the |
