Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries

Treatment

Mayo Clinic doctors with training in heart disease (cardiologists), heart surgeons and other specialists with training in congenital heart disease work together as a team. Your treatment options depend on the severity of your condition. Children who have severe congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries may need treatment within a week of birth. Adults who have a milder condition may live for years without symptoms.

Treatment options for children and adults include:

• Observation and monitoring. If you aren't experiencing symptoms or heart rhythm disturbances, you should have regular observation and monitoring by an adult congenital cardiologist. A typical evaluation includes a thorough physical exam and tests.
• Medications. Your doctor may prescribe medications to improve your heart's ability to pump and reduce the effects of a leaky heart valve.
• Surgery. You may need surgery to treat your congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. If you have additional congenital heart diseases, doctors may perform surgery when you are young. Depending on your situation, surgery may include:
• Heart valve replacement. If your tricuspid valve allows blood to leak backward, your surgeon may replace the valve.
• Pacemaker implantation. Your doctor may implant a pacemaker to treat an abnormally slow heart rhythm (complete heart block).
• Ventricular septal defect repair. Your surgeon may close a hole in the wall between the two lower heart chambers (ventricular septal defect).
• Pulmonary valve surgery. Your surgeon may repair or replace the pulmonary valve or remove the blockage at or below the pulmonary valve (pulmonary stenosis).
• Double switch operation. In this procedure, your surgeon repairs a congenital heart defect, such as a ventricular septal defect, and reroutes the great arteries so the ventricles pump blood in the correct direction.
• Heart transplant. In people who have serious conditions, a heart transplant may be needed.
• Pregnancy and family planning. If you have any congenital heart disease such as congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, you should discuss your plans for pregnancy with your doctor before becoming pregnant. Successful pregnancy is very possible. Mayo Clinic doctors recommend monitoring during pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum.