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April 27, 1984, Vol 251, No. 16 >
ARTICLE | April 27, 1984

The Blalock-Taussig Operation and Subsequent Progress in Surgical Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases FREE

Dan G. McNamara, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprint requests to Pediatric Cardiology, Texas Children's Hospital, 6221 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030 (Dr McNamara).

A commentary on Blalock A, Taussig HB: The surgical treatment of malformations of the heart in which there is pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia. JAMA 1945;128:189-202.


JAMA. 1984;251(16):2139-2141. doi:10.1001/jama.1984.03340400067026
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References

In 1945, few would have predicted the sustained worldwide interest in, and profound influence on, the surgical treatment of heart disease that would follow the report of three children operated upon for a cyanotic malformation of the heart. The paper was submitted for publication when the patients were only a few months postoperative, probably leading some critics to question whether the report of success was a little premature. The authors acknowledged and defended the promptness of the report as follows: "The results are sufficiently encouraging to warrant an early report."1

The paper was not a hastily assembled report of a new procedure but included, first, a methodical exposition on the prevailing theories of the mechanism of cyanosis in congenital heart disease, then a step-by-step review of how Dr Taussig developed the concept of surgically increasing the volume of blood to the pulmonary circulation in cyanotic malformations with pulmonary stenosis

REFERENCES

1 +
Blalock A, Taussig HB:  The surgical treatment of malformations of the heart in which there is pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia . JAMA 1945;;128:189-202.
2 +
Levy SE, Blalock A:  Experimental observations on the effects of connecting by suture the left main pulmonary artery to the systemic circulation . J Thorac Surg 1939;;8:525-530.
3 +
Gross RE, Hubbard JP:  Surgical ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus: Report of first successful case . JAMA 1939;;112:729-731.
4 +
Crafoord C, Nyline G:  Congenital coarctation of the aorta and its surgical treatment . J Thorac Surg 1945;;14:347.
5 +
Gross RE, Husnagel CA:  Coarctation of the aorta: Experimental studies regarding its surgical correction . N Engl J Med 1945;;233:287.
6 +
White BD, McNamara DG, Bauersfeld SR, et al:  Five-year postoperative results of first 500 patients with Blalock-Taussig anastomosis for pulmonary stenosis or atresia . Circulation 1956;;14:512-519.
7 +
Taussig HB, Crocetti A, Eshaghpour E, et al:  Long-time observations on the Blalock-Taussig operation: II. Second operations, frequency and results . Hopkins Med J 1971;;129:258-273.
8 +
Lillihei CS, Cohen M, Warden HE, et al:  Direct vision intracardiac surgical correction of the tetralogy of Fallot, pentalogy of Fallot, and pulmonary atresia defects: Report of first ten cases . Ann Surg 1955;;142:418-445.
9 +
Kirklin JW, Blackstone EH, Pacifico AD, et al:  Routine primary repair vs two-stage repair of tetralogy of Fallot . Circulation 1979;;60:373-385.
10 +
Lundsgaard C, Van Slyke DD: Cyanosis , Medical Monographs. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co, 1923;, vol 2.
11 +
Potts WJ, Smith S, Gibson S:  Anastomosis of the aorta to a pulmonary artery: Certain types in congenital heart disease . JAMA 1946;;132:627-631.
12 +
Glenn WWL, Patine JF:  Circulatory bypass of the right heart: I. Preliminary observations on the direct delivery of vena caval blood into the pulmonary arterial circulation— azygous vein-pulmonary artery shunt . Yale J Biol Med 1954;;27:147.
13 +
Brock RC:  The surgery of pulmonary stenosis . Br Med J 1949;;2:399-406.
14 +
Waterston DJ:  Fallot's tetralogy in children under one year of age . Rozhl Chir 1962;;41:181.
15 +
Cooley DA, Hallman GL:  Intrapericardial aorto-right pulmonary artery anastomosis . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1966;;122:1084.
16 +
Blalock A, Hanlon CR:  The surgical treatment of complete transposition of the aorta and pulmonary artery . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1950;;90:1.
17 +
Dammann JF, McEachen JA, Thompson WM, et al:  The regression of pulmonary vascular disease . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1952;;92:213.
18 +
Taussig HB: Congenital Malformations of the Heart . New York, Commonwealth Foundation, 1947;.
19 +
Adams FH, Blumenthal S, DuShane JW, et al:  The review and revision of certification procedures in pediatric cardiology . J Med Educ 1972;;47:796-805.
20 +
deLaval MR, McKay R, Jones M, et al:  Modified Blalock-Taussig shunt: Use of subclavian artery orifice as flow regulator in prosthetic systemic pulmonary artery shunts . J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1981;;81:112-119.

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1 +
Blalock A, Taussig HB:  The surgical treatment of malformations of the heart in which there is pulmonary stenosis or pulmonary atresia . JAMA 1945;;128:189-202.
2 +
Levy SE, Blalock A:  Experimental observations on the effects of connecting by suture the left main pulmonary artery to the systemic circulation . J Thorac Surg 1939;;8:525-530.
3 +
Gross RE, Hubbard JP:  Surgical ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus: Report of first successful case . JAMA 1939;;112:729-731.
4 +
Crafoord C, Nyline G:  Congenital coarctation of the aorta and its surgical treatment . J Thorac Surg 1945;;14:347.
5 +
Gross RE, Husnagel CA:  Coarctation of the aorta: Experimental studies regarding its surgical correction . N Engl J Med 1945;;233:287.
6 +
White BD, McNamara DG, Bauersfeld SR, et al:  Five-year postoperative results of first 500 patients with Blalock-Taussig anastomosis for pulmonary stenosis or atresia . Circulation 1956;;14:512-519.
7 +
Taussig HB, Crocetti A, Eshaghpour E, et al:  Long-time observations on the Blalock-Taussig operation: II. Second operations, frequency and results . Hopkins Med J 1971;;129:258-273.
8 +
Lillihei CS, Cohen M, Warden HE, et al:  Direct vision intracardiac surgical correction of the tetralogy of Fallot, pentalogy of Fallot, and pulmonary atresia defects: Report of first ten cases . Ann Surg 1955;;142:418-445.
9 +
Kirklin JW, Blackstone EH, Pacifico AD, et al:  Routine primary repair vs two-stage repair of tetralogy of Fallot . Circulation 1979;;60:373-385.
10 +
Lundsgaard C, Van Slyke DD: Cyanosis , Medical Monographs. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins Co, 1923;, vol 2.
11 +
Potts WJ, Smith S, Gibson S:  Anastomosis of the aorta to a pulmonary artery: Certain types in congenital heart disease . JAMA 1946;;132:627-631.
12 +
Glenn WWL, Patine JF:  Circulatory bypass of the right heart: I. Preliminary observations on the direct delivery of vena caval blood into the pulmonary arterial circulation— azygous vein-pulmonary artery shunt . Yale J Biol Med 1954;;27:147.
13 +
Brock RC:  The surgery of pulmonary stenosis . Br Med J 1949;;2:399-406.
14 +
Waterston DJ:  Fallot's tetralogy in children under one year of age . Rozhl Chir 1962;;41:181.
15 +
Cooley DA, Hallman GL:  Intrapericardial aorto-right pulmonary artery anastomosis . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1966;;122:1084.
16 +
Blalock A, Hanlon CR:  The surgical treatment of complete transposition of the aorta and pulmonary artery . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1950;;90:1.
17 +
Dammann JF, McEachen JA, Thompson WM, et al:  The regression of pulmonary vascular disease . Surg Gynecol Obstet 1952;;92:213.
18 +
Taussig HB: Congenital Malformations of the Heart . New York, Commonwealth Foundation, 1947;.
19 +
Adams FH, Blumenthal S, DuShane JW, et al:  The review and revision of certification procedures in pediatric cardiology . J Med Educ 1972;;47:796-805.
20 +
deLaval MR, McKay R, Jones M, et al:  Modified Blalock-Taussig shunt: Use of subclavian artery orifice as flow regulator in prosthetic systemic pulmonary artery shunts . J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1981;;81:112-119.

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