The short- and long-term effect of Blalock-Taussig shunt size on the outcome after first palliative surgery for cyanotic heart diseases.

Background And Objectives: The Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt is regarded a safe and effective means increasing pulmonary blood flow for cyanotic heart conditions. The evaluation of shunt size for postoperative hemodynamics and until second-stage palliation remains difficult. Our objective is to compare the effect of different shunt sizes on short- and long-term outcomes after a BT shunt surgery.