ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Transposition of the great arteries

What is Transposition of the great arteries?

21:56 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

It is a serious congenital heart condition in which the two main arteries carrying blood out of the heart, that is, the aorta and the pulmonary artery, are switched in position.

Transposition of the great arteries arises during pregnancy when the baby’s heart is developing. Its origin is unknown, but some conditions during pregnancy can contribute to its appearance, such as:

  • Alcoholism.
  • Diabetes.
  • Smoking.
  • Malnutrition.
  • Presence of viral diseases in the mother, such as rubella.

There are two types of transposition of the great arteries:

  • Dextro-transposition of the great vessels.
  • Levo-transposition of the great vessels.

Signs and symptoms Transposition of the great arteries

The symptoms can be detected during a routine ultrasound during pregnancy or after birth, such as:

  • Bluish skin tone.
  • Clubbing of fingers or toes.
  • Difficulty breathing.
  • Underweight.
  • Poor appetite.
  • Weak pulse.

Transposition of the great arteries risks and complications:

  • Heart block.
  • Lack of oxygen in the tissues.
  • Heart failure.
  • Heart valve problems.
  • Irregular heart rate.

Diagnosis and treatment Transposition of the great arteries

Once the doctor analyzes the symptoms and medical history, they will perform a physical examination of the baby to detect if there is a heart murmur and will order the following imaging studies to properly diagnose:

  • Cardiac ultrasound.
  • Electrocardiogram.
  • X-rays.

The main goal of treatment is to make oxygenated blood mix with low-oxygen blood through:

  • Medication.
  • Cardiac catheterization.
  • Corrective surgery after birth.

At the Cardiovascular Center, we offer you a wide range of prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and follow-up services to take care of you through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care model. Come to us, we want to hear your heart.

Fuentes:

  • fundaciondelcorazon.com
  • heart.org
  • stanfordchildrens.org
  • cardiopatiascongenitas.net
  • cincinnatichildrens.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.org
  • García-Hernández HA, Castelló-Magallanes RJ, Lupercio-Macías SM, et al. Corrección temprana de transposición de grandes vasos: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura. Rev Med MD. 2016;7.8(4):280-284.
  • Ley VL, Clemades MAM, Satorre YJA. Transposicion de grandes arterias diagnosticada en un feto de 22 semanas. CorSalud. 2012;4(4):294-295.
  • Seijas CJA, Naranjo UA, Marcano SL, et al. Entrenamiento ventricular izquierdo previo a la corrección anatómica en un lactante con transposición de grandes vasos. Rev Cubana Cardiol Cir Cardiovasc. 2014;20(1):.

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