Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation after arterial switch repair in infancy for complete transposition of the great arteries

Abstract

The most recent postoperative echocardiographic examinations of all children who underwent arterial switch repair of transposition of the great arteries from August 1985 to December 1987 were reviewed. The patients included 35 children whose age at operation was 12 +/- 16 days and whose weight was 3.6 +/- 0.4 kg. Thirty-three patients are alive and well; 1 died intraoperatively and 1 died immediately postoperatively. The time of the follow-up echocardiographic examination ranged from 1 day to 2.5 years (mean 9.2 months) with 11 patients examined >1 year after surgery. Complete examination of the repair site was possible in all patients. Echocardiographic visualization of distortion of the great arteries at the suture lines was seen in all patients; however, Doppler evidence of hemodynamically significant obstruction at the repair site was uncommon. On Doppler examination in the surviving 33 patients, 16 had no supravalvular pulmonary stenosis and 14 had mild to moderate supravalvular pulmonary stenosis with peak systolic pressure gradients ranging from 16 to 56 mm Hg (mean 31). Three patients had severe supravalvular pulmonary stenosis and peak systolic pressure gradients of 66, 74 and 77 mm Hg (2 have had reoperation, 1 is awaiting surgery). On Doppler examination, 4 patients had mild supravalvular aortic stenosis with peak systolic gradients ranging from 10 to 29 mm Hg. Doppler gradients were confirmed in 10 patients who had catheterization 12 +/- 3 months after surgery. Three patients had mild pulmonary regurgitation by Doppler examination, 5 had mild aortic regurgitation, 4 had mild tricuspid regurgitation and 2 had mild mitral regurgitation. In all 33 patients, ventricular dimensions, left ventricular shortening fraction (42 +/- 6%) and rate-corrected mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (1.25 +/- 0.24 circumference/s) were normal.