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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffSurgery can often repair the heart of an infant with truncus arteriosus. Sometimes multiple procedures or surgeries will be necessary. Before your baby undergoes surgery, he or she may receive extra feedings to ensure proper nutrition and medications to improve heart and lung function.
Medications
Medications that may be prescribed prior to surgery may include:
- Digoxin (Lanoxin). This drug, also referred to as digitalis, increases the strength of heart muscle contractions.
- Diuretics. Often called water pills, diuretics increase the frequency and volume of urination, preventing fluid from collecting in the body — a common effect of heart failure.
Surgical procedures
Most infants with truncus arteriosus undergo surgery within the first two months of life. The exact procedure will depend on your baby's condition. Most commonly your baby's surgeon will:
- Close the hole between the two ventricles, often with a patch
- Separate the upper portion of the pulmonary artery from the single large vessel
- Implant a tube (conduit) and valve to connect the right ventricle with the upper portion of the pulmonary artery — creating a new, complete pulmonary artery
- Reconstruct the single large vessel and aorta to create a new, complete aorta
- Implant a new valve separating the left ventricle and aorta if necessary
After corrective surgery, your child will need lifelong follow-up care with a cardiologist to monitor his or her heart health. The cardiologist may recommend that your child limit physical activity. Your child will need to take antibiotics before dental procedures and other surgical procedures to prevent infections.
Because the conduit does not grow with your child, follow-up surgery to replace the conduit is usually necessary as he or she gets older.
