[Reabsorbable banding. Our initial experience]. / Banding reabsorbible. Experiencia preliminar.

Since May 1989 we have been using a reabsorbable 3 mm, polidioxanona band for pulmonary banding instead of the dacron one. This procedure was performed in 5 patients with ages between 33 to 230 days. The diagnoses were atrioventricular canal in one case and ventricular septal defect in the other 4 cases. One of them also had vascular ring with right aortic arch, left patent ductus arterious and aberrant subclavian artery. All the patients were in a poor condition. Subsequent reoperations performed in short, medium, and long term were uncomplicated, and the technique had the added benefit of avoiding the need for pulmonary reconstruction. A close ECO Doppler follow-up is necessary to determine the best moment for definitive correction. We think that this new technique makes the banding a reliable and complications free procedure and its place should be reevaluated in the light of the current tendency for early complete correction.

[Surgical treatment of congenital cardiopathies in the 1st year of life: experience in 893 treated cases]. / Tratamiento quirúrgico de las cardiopatías congénitas en el primer año de la vida: experiencia en 893 casos intervenidos.

We present a study of 893 infants treated surgically, of ages from 30 hours to 12 months old, with a global mortality rate of 23.1%. In 37.6% of the cases, a total correction of cardiopathy was reached, using closed techniques in 25.9% and open-heart surgery in 11.7%. Palliative techniques wer chosen in 62.3% of the patients. The highest mortality corresponds to those patients under one month old (40%), decreasing to 14% in the 7-12 month old group. Surgical indications and techniques used are commented in each group of cardiopathies, making special reference to post surgical care.