What Are The Symptoms And Complications Of Transposition Of The Great Arteries?
Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a rare and serious congenital heart defect. In this condition, the two main arteries that leave the individual's heart are transposed or reversed. TGA is typically identified before birth or within the first several weeks of an infant's life. In a healthy individual, the pulmonary artery that blood takes from the heart to pick up oxygen from the lungs is attached to the right ventricle. The oxygenated blood returns to the heart and flows through the left atrium and left ventricle, and from there, the oxygenated blood flows through the aorta to tissues around the body. When transposition of the great arteries is present, however, the aorta connects to the right ventricle, and the pulmonary artery connects to the left ventricle. This arrangement causes the oxygen-poor blood to flow into the right atria, through the right ventricle, into the aorta, and back to the body's tissues. The blood never reaches the lungs to pick up oxygen, so oxygen-poor blood continuously circulates throughout the body.
Get to know the major symptoms and complications linked to transposition of the great arteries now.