[Atrial septostomy at the intensive care unit under echocardiographic monitoring. Initial experience of the Heart Institute of Pernambuco].

The present article describes the initial experience of the Instituto do Coração de Pernambuco, at the neonatal intensive care unit, with the performance of Rashkind atrioseptostomy under two-dimensional echocardiographic control, through percutaneous venous approach (right femoral vein catheterization), under local anaesthesia, in three cases, two neonates with transposition of the great arteries and one with tricuspid atresia. In two children the procedure was successful both technically and haemodynamically. In the third child, aged 36 days, the atrial septum was thickened not allowing for satisfactory withdraw. In none of the three cases significant complications were observed during the procedure. Despite of the small number of patients, our experience showed that this new approach to the performance of Rashkind atrioseptostomy is feasible without major complications to the neonate and with advantages over the conventional technique.