Newborns with transposition of the great arteries (TGA), a congenital cardiac abnormality in which the aorta and pulmonary artery are transposed, resulting in severe oxygen deprivation, undergo the life-saving open heart surgery known as the Arterial Switch Operation (ASO).
Symptoms of Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) (Before ASO)
- Severe bluish skin, or cyanosis, during birth or soon after.
- Tachypnea, or rapid breathing, and trouble eating.
- Hypoxia is low oxygen levels that do not respond to oxygen treatment.
- Cardiac murmur (caused by irregular blood flow).
- Heart enlargement (seen on chest X-ray).
Important Points
- The gold standard for TGA is ASO.
- Early completion (within days or weeks of delivery) is required.
- If there are no significant issues, excellent long-term survival.
