Assessment of myocardial perfusion in patients after the arterial switch operation

In 21 patients who had undergone the arterial switch operation, the adequacy of myocardial perfusion was evaluated by thallium-201 computed scintigraphy 2.6 +/- 2 (0.3-7) yr after surgery. Fourteen patients had undergone the arterial switch procedure after pulmonary artery banding and seven as a primary repair. Isoproterenol stress increased the heart rate by at least 55%. Tomographic imaging was performed at peak stress and 3 hr later in the reperfusion phase. Nine patients had perfusion defects. The perfusion defects were located at the left ventricular apex in four (with extension to the inferolateral wall in one), left ventricular anterolateral wall in two, ventricular septum in one, left ventricular inferior wall in one, and right ventricular free wall in one. Some of these defects could be due to myocardial damage at the time of surgery, but these results also raise concern about long-term adequacy of myocardial perfusion following the arterial switch procedure.