Branch pulmonary artery growth after blalock-taussig shunts in tetralogy of fallot and pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect: a retrospective, echocardiographic study

• Published in: Pediatric cardiology 1999-09, Vol.20 (5), p.358-363
• Main Authors: Sabri, M R, Sholler, G, Hawker, R, Nunn, G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Echocardiography; Female; Heart Bypass, Right; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - complications; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - diagnostic imaging; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - surgery; Humans; Infant; Male; Pulmonary Artery - diagnostic imaging; Pulmonary Artery - growth & development; Pulmonary Atresia - complications; Pulmonary Atresia - diagnostic imaging; Pulmonary Atresia - surgery; Retrospective Studies; Tetralogy of Fallot - diagnostic imaging; Tetralogy of Fallot - surgery
• ISSN: 0172-0643; 1432-1971
• DOI: 10.1007/s002469900485

We performed a retrospective echocardiographic study in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) or pulmonay atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA&VSD) to evaluate the effects of Blalock-Taussig shunt on branch pulmonary artery growth. There were 35 patients with TOF and 11 with PA&VSD. We measured the right and left pulmonary artery area index and also the combined pulmonary artery area index, both before and after shunt operation. The mean +/- SD of these three variables before the shunt operation in the TOF group were 63.5 +/- 22.5, 57.8 +/- 24.9, and 121.4 +/- 42.8 mm(2)/m(2); after shunt operation they were 98.5 +/- 33.6, 85.9 +/- 31.9, and 184.0 +/- 59.8 mm(2)/m(2), respectively (p values