[Aberrant left pulmonary artery. Apropos of 5 operated cases]

The authors report 5 cases of aberrant left pulmonary artery undergoing surgery with 3 successful results and 2 failures; 4 of the 5 operations were carried out through a sternal split with either extra-corporeal circulation or circulatory arrest and profound hypothermia. The authors have reviewed the cases reported in the literature which amount to 78, 51 of which have been operated on surgically, the condition having been corrected in only 34 of them. They have studied particularly the incidence of associated tracheo-bronchial lesions which are themselves the reason for the seriousness of the condition, as well as the longterm results and the possible incidence of thrombosis in the anastomosis. By contrast with the views of Sade, the authors are optimistic about the results which have been obtained in the survivors.