Surgery>>>>>Congenital Heart Disease
Question 7#

The bidirectional Glenn procedure is used to correct:

A. Tricuspid atresia
B. Patent ductus arteriosus
C. Transposition of the great arteries
D. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

Correct Answer is A

Comment:

Recognizing the inadequacies of the initial repairs for tricuspid atresia, Glenn described the first successful cavopulmonary anastomosis, an end-to-side right pulmonary artery (RPA)-to-superior vena cava (SVC) shunt in 1958, and later modified this to allow flow to both pulmonary arteries. This end-to-side RPA-to-SVC anastomosis was known as the bidirectional Glenn, and is the first stage to final Fontan repair in widespread use today. The Fontan repair was a major advancement in the treatment of congenital heart disease, as it essentially bypassed the right heart, and allowed separation of the pulmonary and systemic circulations.