A staged expanding pulmonary artery band.

Pulmonary artery banding is indicated in numerous congenital cardiac defects not amenable to a total repair. One complication of pulmonary artery banding, especially in neonates who require early banding, is progressive cyanosis during the rapid growth phase requiring earlier than anticipated total correction, which may produce a less than optimal result. A simple pulmonary artery band that enlarges as the patient grows would avoid this early complication. We report a technique of pulmonary artery banding in an animal model using different absorbable sutures. The band enlarges in a prescribed staged fashion without any further intervention, hopefully allowing growth of neonates and infants with complex congenital heart disease.