Angiojet thrombectomy for Blalock-Taussig shunt and pulmonary artery thrombus in an infant with tetralogy of fallot

We describe a new technique for treatment of shunt thrombosis in infants with complex anatomical defects. A 2-month-old girl with Tetralogy of Fallot underwent placement of a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) at day of life (DOL) 6 with revision at DOL 20. Following this surgery, the patient became hypotensive and hypoxic with new evidence of lack of flow through the MBTS on echocardiography. Angiography showed an occluded MBTS and right pulmonary artery with patent distal branches with normal pulmonary venous return. Balloon angioplasty was attempted but failed to fully recanalize the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and MBTS. An AngioJet catheter was then passed through the shunt and RPA to perform rheolyticthrombectomy. Subsequent angiogram showed a widely patent RPA and MBTS. An echocardiogram at 1-month post-thrombectomy showed a widely patent MBTS with continuous flow seen entering both branch pulmonary arteries. The AngioJet system for thrombectomy provides a viable option for complex thrombus removal in patients refractory to other methods.