Long-term follow-up of right ventricular function after mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries

Abstract

As development of right ventricular (RV) failure is a potential risk after Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries, 17 patients were reexamined 5–13 years postoperatively. Comparisons were made with healthy controls. There were no clinical signs of heart failure. Echocardiographically determined RV end-diastolic diameter was increased to 2.5±0.8 cm (controls: 1.5±0.4 cm, p<0.001). Comparison of RV systolic time intervals (STI) in patients with normal left ventricular (LV) STI revealed decreased RV function, with RPEPI 165±19 msec (controls 126±12, p<0.001) and RPEP/RVET 0.484±0.096 (controls 0.284±0.045, p<0.001). Nuclear angiography demonstrated decreased RV ejection fraction (EF), viz. 42.8±6.6% (normal RV 53±6%, LV 68±9%, p<0.001). Only two patients showed normal (5%) rise in RV-EF during exercise. There was no evidence of deterioration with passage of time. The results do not justify use of anatomic repair at our center, since the perioperative mortality might then be higher than in the Mustard or Senning procedures.

Key Words:

• transposition of great arteries
• Mustard operation
• right ventricular function
• echocardiography
• systolic time intervals
• ejection fraction