Abstract
Collateral vascular arteries from the descending aorta to the pulmonary arteries are uncommon after arterial switch operation. Here, we report the case of a baby girl treated with coil embolization for abnormal blood flow from the descending aorta to the pulmonary arteries after arterial switch operation. A baby girl weighing 1324 g was delivered at 32 weeks 4 days of gestation, and she had D-transposition of the great arteries and a ventricular septal defect. She underwent nitrogen inhalation to reduce pulmonary blood flow before arterial switch operation. After the operation, she presented with left heart failure due to the presence of abnormal blood flow from the descending aorta to the pulmonary arteries, and she was successfully treated with coil embolization. After the treatment, her condition improved dramatically, and she was discharged without any complications.
Highlights
The outcomes of neonatal cardiac surgery have improved dramatically owing to advancements in surgical techniques and perioperative care [1]
For D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA), which needs neonatal cardiac surgery, selection of the surgical strategy mainly depends on the anomalous heart and vascular factors, such as coronary anatomy, ventricular septal defect (VSD) location, and associated vascular malformations [2]
Collateral vascular arteries from the descending aorta to the pulmonary arteries are uncommon after arterial switch operation, and their presence can lead to several critical conditions such as pulmonary bleeding and low cardiac output [3]
Summary
The outcomes of neonatal cardiac surgery have improved dramatically owing to advancements in surgical techniques and perioperative care [1]. We report the case of a baby treated with coil embolization for abnormal blood flow from the descending aorta to the pulmonary arteries after arterial switch operation. At 19 days after the operation, an abnormal blood vessel (2 mm in diameter) from the descending aorta to the pulmonary artery was identified on echocardiography. We suspected that this abnormal vessel was responsible for the current heart failure because it was a systemic to pulmonary shunt and had the potential to cause preloading of the left ventricle. After confirming the presence of the shunts, the vessels were occluded with 12 Orbit Galaxy detachable coils (DePuy Synthes, Westchester, PA, USA) (Fig. 2) Following this procedure, her hemodynamic condition improved, and she was extubated 6 days after embolization.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
