[The surgical treatment of coarctation of the aorta and interruption of the aortic arch in the first three months of life--effectiveness of temporary bypass between the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta].

From February 1987 to January 1994, we operated on 24 patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and 9 patients with interruption of the aortic arch (IAA). A policy of staged repair was followed, consisting of reconstruction of the aortic arch with pulmonary artery banding and ligation of the ductus arteriosus in the first stage and intracardiac repair with pulmonary artery band removal in the second stage. In recent cases an extended aortic arch anastomosis was performed using a heparin-coated "shunt tube" between the pulmonary artery and the descending aorta to maintain blood flow to the lower half of the body during aortic cross-clamping. The use of the shunt increased intraoperative urine output (p < 0.05). This technique may allow patients whose condition is poor to undergo aortoplasty more safely. One patient died. This patient had CoA and total anomalous pulmonary venous return, who underwent a one-stage repair, in violation of our policy (early mortality 3.0%). There were two interim deaths before the second stage repair. At present, 18 patients have undergone staged intracardiac repair, including VSD closure (14 cases), Jatene's procedure (1), Ratelli's procedure (1), Damus-Kaye-Stansel (DKS) procedure (1), total cavo-pulmonary connection (TCPC) + DKS procedure+annuloplasty of a common atrioventricular valve (1). There were two early deaths and one late death following intracardiac repair, all in patients with IAA plus VSD.