The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 82, 436-446, Copyright © 1981 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Appraisal of the Mustard procedure for the physiological correction of "simple" transposition of the great arteries. Eighty consecutive cases, 1970-1980
GP Piccoli, JL Wilkinson, R Arnold, F Musumeci and DI Hamilton
Eighty successive patients underwent the Mustard operation for "simple"
transposition of the great arteries (TGA) between January, 1970, and
January, 1980. Ages ranged from 42 days to 12.4 years (mean 14.7 months).
Balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) with balloon volumes of more than 2.5 ml
produced significant increases of arterial oxygen saturation, although the
initial benefit of BAS was greater than that found at follow-up
catheterization. In these patients the left ventricular (LV) pressure
tended to decrease during the first months of life, but this drop was less
marked at the end of the first year. Deep hypothermia and cardiocirculatory
arrest were employed in all cases. Several modifications were adapted to
the original surgical technique in order to reduce last sequelae. There
were two early and three late deaths. At follow-up (mean 4.5 years) 74% of
patients were symptom free. Sinoatrial and atrioventricular (AV) conduction
disturbances were present in five and six patients, respectively. Caval or
pulmonary venous obstruction occurred in 13 patients, seven of whom
required reoperation. Isolated tricuspid valve incompetence was present in
one patient only, but in four it was associated with other defects. Primary
right ventricular (RV) failure occurred in one patient. These findings, in
relation to mortality, complications, and the excellent clinical results in
the majority of survivors, compare favorably with results published for
patients with "simple" TGA who have been subjected to other types of
physiological or anatomic correction. At the present time, there seems to
be no good reason to alter our surgical policy in this group of patients.