Between January 1979 and March 1981, 9 consecutive infants - mean age one month - with critical aortic stenosis underwent closed aortic valvotomy as a life-saving procedure. Two patients died. The 7 survivors have an excellent functional result with a postoperative follow-up of one month to 12 months. In this very young poputation, the technique seems to give a smaller mortality than open valvotomy or inflow occlusion, as well as good postoperative results, and allows for simultaneous surgical repair of associated lesions.