Transposition of the Great Arteries

Two major arteries or blood vessels carry blood away from the heart: the aorta and the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery lets blood flow to the lungs, where it receives oxygen. The blood then is returned to the heart, which pumps it to the rest of the body so that it can nourish our tissues and organs. The vessel that pumps this blood to the rest of the body is the aorta.

What Is Transposition of the Great Arteries?

Transposition of the great arteries is a birth defect that occurs when the connections of these two major arteries to the heart are switched. It is called a cyanotic (the skin appearing blue) defect because it results in less oxygen being carried away from the heart to the rest of the body. Oxygenated blood is red. Blood without oxygen has a bluish tinge.

In babies with this defect, blood is pumped to the lungs to get oxygen, and then instead of flowing out of the heart to the rest of the body it flows back to the lungs. The body then sends the blood back to the heart, doesn't get oxygenated, and returns to the body without picking up oxygen from the lungs.

Symptoms of Transposition of the Great Arteries

This birth defect is seen right after birth or during the first week of life. Infants born with transposition of the great arteries have:

• Skin that is tinged blue
• Clubbed fingers or toes (deformities of the nail bed)
• Little desire to eat
• Shortness of breath
• Inadequate weight gain

Possible complications of transposition of the great arteries may be:

• Too little oxygen reaching the body's tissues
• Heart failure. When this happens the heart is unable to pump enough blood to the body's organs and tissues.
• Damaged lungs, causing breathing problems.

Surgery should be done within the baby's first six months to avoid death. Infants who have surgery for this condition may face problems as they get older, such as:

• Heart valves that leak
• Constriction of the blood vessels that bring blood to nourish the heart (coronary arteries)
• Arrhythmias (too fast, too slow, or irregular beating of the heart)
• Heart failure caused by the heart muscle becoming too weak or inflexible

Contact a Birth Defect Attorney

If your baby is born with a heart defect, there is a possibility that you can seek compensation for your baby's suffering. To learn more, schedule a free consultation with a birth defect attorney at Flood Law Group today. Our attorneys investigate potential claims on behalf of parents who think a medication could have contributed to their baby's condition. To learn more, contact us today.