In-Hospital Shunt Occlusion in Infants Undergoing a Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt

We found that a patient's anatomy (pulmonary atresia/ventricular septal defect with or without major aortopulmonary collateral arteries) and the size of the pulmonary artery being shunted had a significant impact in predicting postoperative in-hospital shunt occlusion. These results emphasize that technical skills and a low resistance to blood flow are necessary for successful shunt function. Although some perioperative coagulation values were significantly reduced in infants who were destined to experience shunt occlusion, they would be difficult to detect clinically.