Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 August 2008
We advocate primary repair of atrioventricular septal defect with a common atrioventricular orifice in symptomatic children presenting with intractable congestive heart failure. The single patch technique has been utilized as our procedure of choice. A low operative mortality and a low incidence of residual ventricular septal defect and regurgitation of the left atrioventricular valve requiring reoperation has been achieved. This report emphasizes the technical details of the repair. Careful delineation of anatomic detail is considered to be of the utmost importance. Precise suture placement, tailoring the patch, and reconstruction of the left atrioventricular valve are essential to achieve complete closure of the atrial and ventricular septal defects and functional integrity of the left atrioventricular valve.