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Shunt Operations
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Blalock and Taussig developed their pioneering
operation for blue children in 1945 and it has continued to
be a very successful operation to this day. Originally the
artery to the arm (sublcavian) was stitched directly to the
pulmonary artery and this allowed extra blood from the aorta
(body artery) to pass into the lungs and receive oxygen. This
is called a classical BT shunt (CBTS).
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The blood supply to the arm is reduced and this caused some children
problems and so a later development was the modified BT shunt (MBTS)
when a tube made of Gore-Tex is stitched between the arm and lung
arteries.
This operation may be performed alone or in combination with another
eg the Norwood Operation.
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This operation was undertaken in the 1940's by a surgeon
called Glenn. It is used to treat blue babies. The superior
vena cava draining blood from the head and the upper part
of the body was stitched directly to the lung artery increasing
the amount of blood flow to the lungs.
23 January, 2005s three names
- cavo-pulmonary shunt, bi-directional Glenn shunt or a Kawashima
operation. All mean the same thing and improve the blood flowing
to the lungs thereby making the patient pinker.
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