The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 37, 417-421, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Surgical management of univentricular heart with subaortic obstruction
SC Park, RD Siewers, WH Neches, JR Zuberbuhler, RA Mathews, FJ Fricker, LB Beerman and DR Fischer
In children with a univentricular heart and a rudimentary subaortic
chamber, surgical relief of subaortic obstruction caused by a restrictive
bulboventricular foramen is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A
6-year-old child with a univentricular heart of the left ventricular type,
a rudimentary subaortic chamber, and atresia of the left-sided
atrioventricular valve had pulmonary artery banding in infancy. Severe
subaortic obstruction subsequently developed. At operation, the pulmonary
artery was transected and the stump was anastomosed directly to the
posterior aspect of the ascending aorta, diverting left ventricular blood
into the aorta through the pulmonary valve. The distal pulmonary artery was
anastomosed side-to-side to the ascending aorta to provide pulmonary blood
flow. Cardiac catheterization fifteen months after the operation
demonstrated an excellent hemodynamic result. When the pulmonary artery is
adequate in size, a bypass operation by way of an anastomosis between the
ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery is a relatively safe and effective
means of relieving the ventricular outflow obstruction caused by a
restrictive bulboventricular foramen.