Follow-up of infants after systemic-pulmonary shunts, performed with fresh frozen vein homografts. Postoperative angiographic assessment.

Ten of twenty-six modified Blalock-Taussig shunts performed with fresh frozen vein homograft were studied angiographically. In two of them the shunt was stenosed. The remaining eight shunts were satisfactory. Among them in four irregularities of the inner surface and in four spindle shape of the shunt were observed. The diameter ratio between subclavian artery and homograft at the time of operation and later as seen on the angiograms did not change. This suggests that spindle shape of homograft is caused by growth rather than by aneurysm formation.