In this disease, the positions of the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed, causing oxygen-rich blood to flow to the lungs and oxygen-poor blood to flow to the body. Transposition of the great arteries requires corrective surgery in the first weeks of life.
Depending on the type of repair performed in childhood, an adult who was born with this condition needs ongoing follow-up to screen for abnormal blood diversion and irregular heart rhythms and to assess left and right heart function.