A case report of late physiologic repair of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and pulmonary stenosis in a severely cyanotic patient: better late than never

Abstract

Background Patients with congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA) not infrequently seek medical attention for the first time late in life. Optimal management of natural history ccTGA is debated and must be tailored. Case summary A 38 years old male patient was referred to our centre because of severe cyanosis and worsening dyspnoea. Investigations disclosed: situs solitus, mesocardia, double discordance, large ventricular septal defect (VSD), severe pulmonary stenosis, no significant atrioventricular valves regurgitation. The patient underwent physiologic repair: VSD closure, placement of a left ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit and epicardial atrio-biventricular pacemaker implantation. The conduit was intentionally undersized to promote tricuspid valve continence. Postoperative course was uneventful, trans-thoracic echocardiography showed good biventricular function without significant tricuspid regurgitation. At one month after discharge the patients is in NYHA class II. Discussion Management of late presenter patients with ccTGA depends on the associated lesion and estimation of surgical risk. In selected patients markedly symptomatic physiologic repair is a rationale option, providing a normal saturation and biventricular circulation with a significantly lower surgical risk as compared with anatomic repair.

Physiologic Repair of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries in a Criss-Cross Heart

“…Moreover, for patients with a relatively late presentation like our patient, physiologic repair is a reasonable option with significantly lower surgical risk. 8 Therefore, we may consider early TV replacement to address RV and TV issues.…”