[Primary repair of large ventricular septal defects in the first year of life (author's transl)].

It has been our policy at Harefield Hospital since 1971 to perform primary repair of large ventricular septal defects in the first year of life if there is severe intractable cardiac failure or persistent pulmonary hypertension in infants approaching the first year of age. Twenty-six infants underwent repair; their ages were between one and twelve months. One child died early. The remaining 25 have been followed up for between 6 and 78 months (mean 30.3 months). There have been no late deaths and all children are asymptomatic. Late, postoperative cardiac catheterization was performed in 17 patients. This showed that in all the patients the pulmonary artery pressure was normal and there were no residual shunts. It is concluded that primary repair of large ventricular septal defects in the first year of life gives good results and appears to prevent pulmonary hypertension.