The first closure of the persistent ductus arteriosus.

Congenital heart disease began to be a treatable condition when, in 1938, Robert Edward Gross first successfully ligated a persistent ductus arteriosus. This overview traces the historical development from Munro's first idea of how to close a patent ductus, presented in 1907, to the clinical ligation or division of the ductus. Surgical treatment of the infected ductus began with an unsuccessful attempt by Strieder, but it was not until Tubbs' and Touroff's successful operations that it was actually accomplished.

Intracardiac covered stent for transcatheter completion of the total cavopulmonary connection: anatomical, physiological and technical considerations.

In the present review we discuss anatomical, physiological and technical aspects of the interventional transcatheter deployment of intracardiac covered stent for completion of the total cavopulmonary connection.

Pioneering contributions of Alexander A. Vishnevsky and his team to cardiac surgery.

In the dawn of cardiac surgery in the 1940s to 1950s, Alexander A. Vishnevsky assembled together a fine team of surgeons and conducted intense surgical research that resulted in clinical application of modified Blalock-Taussig shunt, cavo-pulmonary shunt, and paved the way to clinical orthotopic heart and lung transplantation and coronary bypass surgery in Russia. The team of surgeons lead by Vishnevsky also performed the world's first cavo-pulmonary shunts and experimental orthotopic heart and lung transplantation. Herein, we describe the pioneering contributions of Vishnevsky and his team to cardiac surgery.

A tribute to Giancarlo Rastelli.

Giancarlo Rastelli (1933-1970) was a pioneer cardiac surgeon who developed a classification of atrioventricular canal and a novel surgical procedure that revolutionized the management of children with congenital heart disease. Rastelli lived a short, yet fascinating life. His work was ahead of its time and laid the foundation for the treatment of complex congenital cardiac anomalies.

Atrial switch operation: past, present, and future.

The atrial switch operation was developed by the efforts of many surgeons, with the most notable contributions made by Blalock, Hanlon, Albert, Baffes, Senning, and Mustard. The atrial switch operation was the first definitive repair for patients with transposition of great arteries and produced good results. Although it is rarely performed today, the atrial switch is not merely of historical interest as there remain a few important indications for this operation. A thorough understanding of the atrial switch is still required for surgeons dealing with complex congenital cardiac malformations. Herein we summarize the history, review long-term results, and discuss the future of the atrial switch operation.