Transposition of the Great Arteries and Common Variants
1Department of Pediatrics, Section of Cardiology, Florida International University, Wertheim College of Medicine, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami, FL.
Insights
The arterial switch operation significantly improved outcomes for infants with transposition of the great arteries. This review covers its physiology, management, and surgical success, highlighting advances in pediatric cardiovascular care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery
- Congenital Heart Disease Management
Background:
- Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a critical congenital heart defect.
- The arterial switch operation (ASO) has become a standard treatment for TGA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the physiology of TGA.
- To discuss perioperative management and surgical correction of TGA in infants undergoing ASO.
- To analyze the outcomes of ASO for TGA.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of MEDLINE and PubMed databases.
- Synthesis of information on ASO for TGA.
Main Results:
- Widespread adoption of ASO represents significant advances in pediatric cardiovascular care.
- Improvements in diagnostics, surgical techniques, anesthesia, intensive care, and nursing have contributed to ASO success.
- Strategies for TGA management have informed care for other neonatal congenital heart lesions.
Conclusions:
- Continued research is needed on the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of perioperative care.
- Collaboration among centers is essential to optimize outcomes, reduce costs, and minimize morbidity associated with ASO.
Objectives:
The objectives of this review are to discuss the physiology, perioperative management, surgical correction, and outcomes of infants with transposition of the great arteries and common variants undergoing the arterial switch operation.
Data Source:
MEDLINE and PubMed.
Conclusion:
The widespread adoption of the arterial switch operation for transposition of great arteries has been one of the more gratifying advances in pediatric cardiovascular care, and represents the simultaneous improvements in diagnostics, surgical and bypass techniques, anesthesia in the neonate, improvements in intensive care technology, nursing strategies, and system-wide care delivery. Many of the strategies adopted for the neonate with transposition of the great arteries have been translated to neonatal care for other congenital heart lesions. Continued work is necessary to investigate the effects of perioperative care on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes, as well as collaboration between centers to spread "best practices" for outcome, cost, and morbidity reduction.
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