Modified Blalock-Taussig shunt versus ductal stenting for palliation of cardiac lesions with inadequate pulmonary blood flow.

Objective: The modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is the most commonly used palliative procedure for infants with ductal-dependent pulmonary circulation. Recently, catheter-based stenting of the ductus arteriosus has been used by some centers to avoid surgical shunt placement. We evaluated the durability and safety of ductal stenting as an alternative to the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt.