Forty-four patients ranging in age from 6 to 36 months underwent closure of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) under simple deep hypothermia without cardiopulmonary bypass. The VSD was closed by non-trans ventricular (transatrial and transpulmonary arterial) approach in 23 of these 44 patients. In the remaining 21 patients, it was closed by transventricular approach. The operative technique, incidence of postoperative complications and postoperative course were compared between these 2 groups. The following conclusions were obtained. 1) The operative technique of the non-transventricular closure of VSD was not difficult as well as the transventricular closure. 2) There was no significant difference in the incidence of the postoperative complete right bundle blanch block and other complications between the two approaches. 3) To the postoperative course, the non-transventricular closure of VSD had the advantage over the transventricular closure in early postoperative period.
