Neck cannulation for the repair of thoracic artery aneurysms in the infant.

Thoracic aneurysms are relatively rare in infancy. We report our experience with two such patients, one with a false aneurysm of the ascending aorta and the other with a mycotic aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery. Neck cannulation prior to sternotomy, using cannulae designed for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, allowed entry into the mediastinum under controlled circumstances and permitted the successful repair of the aneurysms.