From atretic to perforated: a closer view of pulmonary atresia

A 7-day-old male infant with membranous pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) underwent hybrid pulmonary valvotomy. Access was via median sternotomy guided by intra-operative epicardial ultrasonography. After puncturing the atretic pulmonary valve, a 6 mm Wanda balloon catheter was inflated to dilate the atretic valve. Adequate valve movement with antegrade flow was confirmed using real time epicardial echocardiography. Intra-operative epicardial ultrasonography is an effective tool for guiding PA/IVS during hybrid procedures. Epicardial echo imaging provides clear images with excellent quality, helps guide the hybrid operation, and prevents the need for the ionizing radiation of fluoroscopy.