An evaluation of right and left ventricular function after anatomical correction and intra-atrial repair operations for complete transposition of the great arteries.

Abstract

Anatomical correction of complete transposition of the great arteries has the potential advantage over intra-atrial repair in that the left ventricle becomes the systemic pump. To investigate the importance of this, we evaluated right and left ventricular function in 21 patients after anatomical correction and in 21 patients after Mustard or Senning operations. First-pass and equilibrium-gated radionuclide angiography were used to measure right and left ventricular ejection fractions between 17 and 78 (mean, 47) months after anatomical correction and between 3 and 187 (mean, 67) months after intra-atrial repair. The mean age of the patient groups at the time of study was 52 and 84 months, respectively. The right ventricular ejection fraction ranged from 35% to 78% (mean, 58%) in patients after anatomical correction and from 27% to 68% (mean, 51%) after intra-atrial repair (p = 0.066). The left ventricular ejection fraction ranged from 39% to 74% (mean, 58%) after anatomical correction and from 35% to 74% (mean, 58%) after intra-atrial repair (p = 0.86). The mean right and left ventricular ejection fractions of both groups were significantly lower than those of normal children. Individuals with systemic ventricular dysfunction were identified after both types of operations; however, symptomatic dysfunction occurred only after intra-atrial repair (p = 0.24).