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Objective. Device closure of secundum type atrial septal defects in young children has now become common with extension of this practice to children less than 1 year of age. We hypothesized that patients less than 12 months of age with moderate increases in pulmonary blood flow due to atrial septal defects may improve clinically with device closure, particularly premature infants with chronic lung disease.

To report unique methods of treatment and review catheter-based intervention for occluded modified Blalock-Taussig shunts (BTS).

Background. Excessive pulmonary blood flow increases ventricular volume work in the face of inadequate systemic cardiac output, low diastolic blood pressure, and inadequate coronary perfusion. Using the smallest available 3-mm polytetrafluoroethylene shunts have been successful, although catastrophic shunt thrombosis has occasionally been observed. To avoid thrombosis with a smaller conduit, saphenous vein homografts (SVG) were used to construct the modified Blalock–Taussig (BT) shunts.