Transposition of the Great Arteries, L-Type
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How Is It Treated?

Though Transposition of the Great Arteries: L-Type itself does not require treatment, the defects that may be associated with it often do.

If necessary, ventricular septal defects may surgical closure, an abnormal tricuspid valve may be repaired or replaced, or a narrowed (stenotic) pulmonary artery may be widened with a patch.

In cases where the heart's pacemaker is not functioning properly because of the abnormal conduction pathways, an artificial pacemaker may be inserted.

The most common postoperative difficulties involve heart block (the atria and ventricles do not pump in the proper sequence with each other and the heart rate is slow), which may occur despite extreme care to avoid interruption of the conduction pathways. A pacemaker may be needed to treat post-operative heart block if it does not resolve spontaneously.

Another long term concern is the function of the ventricles. In this condition, the left ventricle is pumping under low pressure to the lungs, which is tolerated well. The right ventricle, however, is under a high pressure work load and in some children can begin to fail over time.

The length of the postoperative hospital stay depends on the nature of the repairs undertaken.