Aorto-aortic shunt via the left ventricular apex for operation on the distal arch and the descending aorta.

A technique of aorto-aortic shunt using ordinary non-heparin-bound tubing was used in 21 patients. The proximal limb of the shunt was introduced via the left ventricular apex and advanced through the aortic valve into the ascending aorta, thereby avoiding the difficulty of cannulating the ascending aorta and offering a superior alternative to positioning the proximal limb in the left ventricular cavity.