Surgical correction of the transposition complex in infancy

Treatment of d-transposition of the great arteries: management of hypoxemia after balloon atrial septostomy

Between 1975 and 1979, a group of 43 patients with d-transposition of the great arteries were diagnosed and underwent Rashkind balloon atrial septostomy at the time of initial catheterization. Thirty-six (88 percent) survived to the time of intraatrial baffle repair, and 31 (72 percent) are long-term survivors, 2 of them now awaiting repair. Palliative operations were performed in nine patients before definitive surgery; four of these patients are long-term survivors. Prostaglandin E1 infusion improved oxygenation and relieved acidosis in four patients. It is concluded that most patients with d-transposition of the great arteries will survive to elective intraatrial baffle repair between 6 and 12 months without surgical palliation in spite of significant hypoxemia. Prostaglandin E1 infusion may be lifesaving and provide sufficient palliation in patients with persistent hypoxemia and acidosis after balloon atrial septostomy.

Taussig-Bing anomaly: total repair with closure of ventricular septal defect through the pulmonary artery

Total surgical repair of a Taussig-Bing malformation in an 8-year-old boy was accomplished successfully after previous palliative procedures. The child had undergone a Rashkind septostomy when he was 10 days old, banding of the pulmonary artery and division of a patent ductus arteriosus when he was 2 weeks old, and a Blalock-Hanlon septectomy when he was 1 year old. Complete repair involved patching the ventricular septal defect (VSD), debanding and patching the pulmonary artery, and rerouting the venous return by performing a Mustard procedure. Because of its high location, the VSD could not be reached properly through the tricuspid valve and was approached through the pulmonary arteriotomy. Excellent exposure was obtained by retracting the pulmonary valve, and patch closure of the defect was achieved without difficulties. We believe this approach to the VSD is preferable because no incision is necessary in the right ventricle. This is important since the right ventricle becomes the systemic ventricle after the Mustard operation.

Prognosis for the newborn with transposition of the great arteries

To determine the prognosis for the newborn with transposition of the great arteries, the clinical course of 112 consecutive neonates with dextrotransposition was reviewed. Patients were managed with balloon atrial septostomy at initial cardiac catheterization, palliative operation if needed in the 1st year of life and Mustard's intraatrial baffle repair. The 1st month of life was the period of greatest risk (8 percent mortality rate). Between balloon septostomy and baffle repair, 14 of 103 patients at risk (14 percent) either died or had a cerebrovascular accident. The mortality rate at baffle repair was 14 percent (10 deaths in 71 patients), and there were 3 late postoperative deaths. Actuarial analysis of the data indicates that with this plan of management, approximately 50 percent of newborns with transposition of the great arteries will survive 5 years with excellent function and an additional 15 to 20 percent will survive with one or more medical handicaps.

Continuous murmur following Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries. A sign of pulmonary venous obstruction

Three patients developed severe pulmonary venous obstruction following Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries. Each patient had a soft continuous murmur with distinct diastolic accentuation at the low left sternal border or xiphoid area. Simultaneous recording of intracardiac sound and pressure in one patient showed that the murmur originated at the site of obstruction in the surgically-constructed pulmonary venous atrium. Selective cineangiograms demonstrated the baffle to be the cause of the obstruction. A continuous murmur in a patient following Mustard operation may suggest significant pulmonary venous obstruction.

The medical and surgical management of patients with congenital heart disease. A survey of current knowledge and practices

Today, techniques for diagnosis,medical preparation, and definitive surgical repair are available for most cardiac anomalies, if needed. These permit successful treatment and carry a low mortality. Such children can now be expected to lead normal and meaningful lives as contributors to society. When serious symptoms occur in infancy, as discussed herein, an emergency exists and prompt diagnosis and treatment are mandatory for survival.

Congenital cardiac anomalies: one-stage repair in infancy

A proposed preferred treatment plan consisting of one-stage operative repair of congenital cardiac anomalies whenever complete correction was feasible and operative intervention required was tested during the period February 1, 1972, to September 15, 1974. Experience with 74 patients aged 14 hours to 24 months allows some conclusions to be made regarding the advisability of this approach. For patients with ventricular defect and tetralogy of Fallot, this approach has quite acceptable results and certainly is more direct than palliative operations and second-stage repair. The hypothesis is more difficult to justify in patients with transposition of the great arteries. By avoiding repair in patients under 4 months of age and using a better technique for placement of the intraatrial partition, improved results are anticipated. In the miscellaneous group of anomalies, results depend upon the complexity of the defect and the ability to achieve accurate anatomical correction. After an early mortality of 20% and some late deaths, survival and improvement resulted in 51 of these babies. These results justify persistence in the choice of one-stage correction when operative intervention is required.

Transposition of the great arteries. Results of treatment with early palliation and late intracardiac repair

A longitudinal study was made of 62 patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries. The patients were managed with balloon atrial septostomy (BAS), palliative surgery if any operation was needed in the first year of life, and Mustard intra-atrial baffle repair after one year of age. Of the 47 patients with intact ventricular septum (IVS) treated in this manner, 41 (87 percent) were living at three months of age, 36 (77 percent) at one year, and 31 (66 percent) at two years of age. Survival rates were lower at each age for patients with associated ventricular septal defect (VSD). In relation to therapeutic interventions in the 62 patients, there were six medical deaths within one week of BAS, three deaths during palliative operations, and eight deaths associated with 31 Mustard procedures. Three patients with IVS and five with VSD developed pulmonary vascular obstructive disease, and two patients suffered strokes. In view of the relatively low mortality rate after the neonatal period and our good results with palliative surgery, we continue to defer the Mustard procedure to the second year of life. This is in contrast to the policy of some centers which now advocate elective intracardiac repair in the first year of life.