Aorto-pulmonary shunt in the premature infant: technical considerations

In a 13-day-old, 1,300 gram premature infant with tricuspid atresia, a Potts-Smith anastomosis was successfully performed. We used a neurosurgical vessel clip, smaller than the smallest available vascular clamp, to side-clamp the descending aorta. This report appears to be the first of the construction of a Potts-Smith shunt in an infant of this size.