A new physiologic correction technique for re-establishment of pulmonary circulation. Experimental surgical...

A new physiologic technique is presented for surgical correction of truncus arteriosus, pseudotruncus, transposition of the great arteries, double right ventricular outflow tract with subpulmonary ventricular septal defect and certain cases of Fallot's tetralogy. The basis of the technique are creation of a neo-right atrium, neo-pulmonary trunk, neo-right atrioventricular valve and a neo-pulmonary valve by right angular atriotomy and insertion of a homologous pericardial patch with a monocuspid valve. The pulmonary circulation is re-established by anastomosis of the neo-pulmonary trunk to the pulmonary tree. The technique was used on 26 mongrel dogs. In 14 the experiments were preliminary, to evaluate the technique's validity, and in the other 12 it was performed with extracorporeal circulation and the hemodynamic status was studied at 30 and 180 min postoperatively. The technique and its results and potential advantages are described. Clinical application is considered to be feasible.