Methods: Between February 2007 and June 2012, a total of 18 patients (9 males, 9 females; median age 4.25 months; range, 12 days to 96 months) who were operated for transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction or aortic arch obstruction were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Cardiac pathologies were transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect and coarctation of aorta in four patients; transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect and valvular pulmonary stenosis in two patients, and transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, valvular or subsubvalvular pulmonary stenosis in 12 patients. Arterial switch operation with ventricular septal defect closure and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction procedures were performed in nine patients, two of which were modified Konno operations. The other operations were arterial switch operation with ventricular septal defect closure and arcus reconstruction in four patients, Rastelli operation in three patients, and Nikaidoh operation in two patients. Median cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamp times were 228.5 min and 107 min, respectively. The median length of stay in the intensive care unit was 102.5 hours (range, 28 to 765 hours), while the median duration of intubation was 40.5 hours (range 17 to 275 hours). All patients were discharged within median seven days (range 5 to 55 days). The median follow-up was 37.7 months (range, 15 days to 74 months). Two patients who underwent Rastelli operation died due to low cardiac output in the intensive care unit. At the final echocardiographic examination, the median left ventricular outflow tract gradient was 12.4 mmHg (range, 2 to 38 mmHg) in the patients operated for left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, whereas the median descending aorta gradient was 13.5 mmHg (range, 7.8 to 28 mmHg) in the patients with arcus reconstruction. Only one patient with bicuspid neoaortic valve and posterior septal malalignment was reoperated due to a left ventricular outflow tract gradient of 38 mmHg.

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that arterial switch operation is a preferable alternative, if the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is resectable. Intraventricular re-routing procedures may be the choice in selected patients. We believe that choosing the optimal surgical technique demands appreciation of the particular anatomic features in each individual patient.