Zeitschrift für Kardiologie
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The natural history of 162 children with transposition of the great arteries is referred, whose first heart catheterization fell between 1967 and June 1975. In 149 of them balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) was performed, with a mean increase in arterial oxygen saturation of 21 %. In 11 cases BAS was repeated after inadequate first BAS, but again without success. ⋯ These values include the mortality of palliative operations which were necessary to bridge over the time until "corrective" operations could be performed. The operative mortality of Mustard operations was 10% for the simple TGA and 16% for all TGA cases operated on. On the basis of the mortality values of the BAS, of atrioseptectomy (Blalock-Hanlon) and of the Mustard procedure the proceeding after BAS and the indication for operations is thoroughly discussed.