To minimize myocardial ischemia, we repaired aortic arch obstruction with ventricular septal defect, using two different techniques of cerebral and myocardial perfusion. Seventy-one infants, ages 3 to 137 days, underwent primary repair of coarctation of the aorta (n = 49)/interruption of the aortic arch (n = 22) with ventricular septal defect. In 65 patients, an end-to-end arch anastomosis was performed with cerebral and myocardial perfusion through the innominate or the ascending arterial cannula (non-working beating heart: NWBH). In the remaining 6 patients, an arterial cannula was placed into the innominate artery. With partial cardiopulmonary bypass, the innominate artery was snared proximal to the cannulation site and the ascending aorta was cross-clamped. An extended arch anastomosis was carried out with cerebral perfusion and a working beating heart (WBH). Ten patients (15%) undergoing aortic arch repair with the NWBH technique required cardioplegic arrest to complete a proximal anastomosis, whereas in all 6 repairs with the WBH technique, the extended anastomoses were completed without myocardial ischemia. One hospital death and late death occurred, with an overall survival of 98%. End-to-end arch reconstruction is feasible without myocardial ischemia, using the NWBH technique in patients without hypoplastic arch and using the WBH technique in patients with hypoplastic arch.