Objective To summarize clinical outcomes of right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery shunt （Sano shunt）as the first stage palliative operation for patients with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect （PA/VSD）. Methods Between September 2009 and May 2011，17 PA/VSD patients underwent Sano shunt in Fu Wai Hospital. There were 10 male patients and 7 female patients with their median age of 9.7 （2.5-73.8） months and average weight of （8.3±3.4）kg. Preoperative McGoon ratio was 1.04±0.29 and Nakata index was （102.0±56.9） mm2/m2. Five children had severe intrapericardial left pulmonary aretery stenosis，11 patients had patent ductus arteriosus （PDA），and 1 patient had major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries. Preoperative transcutaneous oxygen saturation （SpO2） was 72.6%±11.6%. Results All the patients received Sano shunt placement successfully. Eleven patients underwent concomitant PDA ligation，and 7 patients underwent concomitant left pulmonary artery plasty. The Sano shunts were constructed with glutaraldehyde-fixed autologous pericardium in 10 patients，fresh autologous pericardium in 1 patient and Gore-Tex graft in 6 patients. All the patients underwent reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract via the right ventricular incision. The average cardiopulmonary bypass time was （75.0±30.0） min. Postoperative SpO2 was 89.8%±5.3% and significantly higher than preoperative SpO2 （P＜0.05）. All the patients were discharged alive and followed up for （12.1±6.7） months. During follow-up，8 patients underwent angiography study whose McGoon ratio and Nakata index improved to 2.05±0.37 and （304.8±51.3） mm2/m2 respectively，both of which were significantly higher than preoperative values（P＜0.05）. Four patients successful underwent second stage total correction. Conclusion Sano shunt is a comparatively safe procedure as the first stage palliative operation for PA/VSD patients，and can significant improve their pulmonary artery growth.