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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Transposition of the great arteries is a serious but rare heart defect present at birth (congenital), in which the two main arteries leaving the heart are reversed (transposed). Transposition of the great arteries changes the way blood circulates through the body, leaving a shortage of oxygen in blood flowing from the heart to the rest of the body. Without an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood, the body can't function properly and your child faces serious complications or death without treatment.
Transposition of the great arteries is usually detected within the first hours to weeks of life.
Corrective surgery soon after birth is the usual treatment for transposition of the great arteries. Having a baby with transposition of the great arteries can be alarming, but with proper treatment, the outlook is promising.
- Facts about transposition of the great arteries. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/heartdefects/TGA.html. Accessed May 23, 2012.
- Fulton DR, et al. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of D-transposition of the great arteries. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed May 23, 2012.
- Fulton DR, et al. Management and outcome of D-transposition of the great arteries. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed May 23, 2012.
- Transposition of the great arteries. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/pediatrics/congenital_cardiovascular_anomalies/transposition_of_the_great_arteries.html. Accessed May 23, 2012.
- Fuster V, ed. et al. Hurst's The Heart. 13th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=5. Accessed June 8, 2012.
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