Management of infants with left ventricular outflow obstruction by conduit interposition between the ventricular apex and thoracic aorta.

On the basis of experience with older children, creation of a double-outlet ventricle by interposition of a valved conduit between the apex of the left ventricle and the thoracic aorta appeared to be an option for treating life-threatening left ventricular outflow tract obstruction even in the small heart of the infant. Over the recent 3 year period, nine infants ranging in age from 3 days to 13 months with various forms of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction underwent placement of an apical-aortic conduit to decompress the hypertensive left ventricle. There were two early and two late deaths. Five patients are clinically well and developing normally 5 to 23 months following the operation. This series demonstrates that this operation permits normal growth and development in infants previously failing to thrive. Echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization data suggest that left ventricular function need not be adversely affected by placement of a stent in the small infant ventricle; rather, ventricular function can be markedly improved. Although the mortality in this series is appreciable, it appears that apical-aortic conduit interposition can provide significant palliation for infants with otherwise lethal left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.