The disappearing pulmonary artery band.

A child is presented who had pulmonary artery bands that eroded or cut-through to the point where congestive heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension recurred. A summary of previously reported cases of band erosion or cut-through is presented, noting that many of these children died. Pulmonary artery banding is now mainly used in infants with complex defects where mortality of early repair is prohibitive or where the Fontan procedure is the only "repair" possible. To obtain good results, a normal pulmonary vascular resistance is preferred; therefore, it is important that the pulmonary artery band is truly protective over the period of time needed. The occurrence of pulmonary vascular disease can cause a decrease in left-to-right shunting and allow a child to clinically improve, thus duplicating the response to a successful banding. If noninvasive evaluation cannot provide clear-cut proof that the band is protective, then measurement of pulmonary artery pressure and flow must be done.