Systemic–pulmonary artery shunts in infants: modified Blalock–Taussig and central shunt procedures.

Author presents a detailed step-by-step approach to Systemic-AP shunt construction in infants via median sternotomy, which offers advantages of preservation of subclavian artery, ease of construction and, perhaps more importantly, ease of takedown. In spite of decreasing annual incidence of this procedure as a result of a change of towards definitive repair whenever possible, it should be still regarded as a very useful procedure in patients who need a reliable source of pulmonary blood flow until such a time when definitive repair may be safely done.
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