Blalock–Taussig Shunt Size: Should it be Based on Body Weight or Target Branch Pulmonary Artery Size?

The study aimed to revisit the in-hospital predictors of shunt thrombosis (ST) in the foreground of the pulmonary artery size in patients who received modified Blalock–Taussig shunt (mBTS) as the first-stage palliation. Data from 80 patients who received mBTS as their initial palliative procedure between February 2012 and January 2017 was retrospectively collected. The median age and weight of the patients at the time of their mBTS procedure was 4 days (IQR 2–22 days) and 3.2 kg (IQR 2.8–3.7 kg), respectively. Of the 80 patients in the study, 11 (13.8%) developed ST. The diameter and corresponding z scores of the pulmonary arteries were significantly lower in patients with ST. The median shunt size/shunted pulmonary artery size (S/PA) ratio was considerably higher in patients with ST. In logistic regression analysis, pulmonary artery hypoplasia (PAH) [odds ratio (OR) = 13.7 (0.06–0.21), p