Contributions of Open Cardiotomy to the Correction of Congenital and Acquired Cardiac Disease

THE past decade has brought forth an impressive array of advances in the field of cardiac surgery. As recently as 1948 there were only three congenital cardiac lesions then amenable to surgical treatment. These were patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta and the systemic-pulmonary-artery anastomotic procedure for tetralogy of Fallot. Less than five years ago there was no patient alive who had been cured of such common malformations as a ventricular septal defect or the lesions of tetralogy of Fallot. Even two years ago such frequently encountered acquired cardiac lesions as mitral regurgitation and aortic insufficiency were beyond the . . .