ABSTRACT
Ebstein's anomaly is a rare congenital heart disease. We treated two patients with this malformation using a new surgical technique proposed by Carpentier. The technique consists of reconstructing the longitudinal plication of the atrialized chamber and repositioning the anterior and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve to the true anatomical annulus. The first patient, a 16-year-old boy, underwent surgery on September 5, 1990, and the second patient, a 13-year-old girl, on July 24, 1991. Atrial septal defect was seen only in the second patient, and was closed without a patch. Aortic cross clamping lasted an average of 96 minutes. The surgical technique was relatively easy, and the postoperative course was uneventful in both patients. The cardiothoracic ratio was reduced from 68% to 54% in the first patient and from 64% to 52% in the second. We concluded that Carpentier's operation led to good clinical results for Ebstein's anomaly.