To assess the role of color Doppler echocardiography in the early post
operative evaluation of patients with a Blalock-Taussig shunt we exami
ned 13 consecutive infants who underwent insertion of either a modifie
d right (6 patients) or a modified left (7 patients) Blalock-Taussig s
hunt (age range 7 days to 6 months, mean age 8 weeks). Examination of
the patients in a high parasternal right or left long axis was able to
determine patency of the shunt in 12 patients. In the remaining patie
nt, who did not show flow in the shunt, complete occlusion of the shun
t was confirmed by angiography. From subcostal views we were able to d
emonstrate patency of the shunt in 75% of the infants and in all patie
nts younger than 4 weeks of age. In our experience color Doppler echoc
ardiography is a highly reliable method for early postoperative evalua
tion of infants with a Blalock-Taussig shunt.