Early bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt in young infants. Postoperative course and early results.

Abstract

Early bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt in young infants has shown encouraging early results and provides improved oxygenation with low morbidity and mortality. We speculate that an early bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt on an elective basis may reduce the deleterious sequelae of chronic hypoxemia, long-term ventricular volume overload, and repeated palliative procedures, thus yielding a more suitable Fontan candidate.