arterial switch operation
An arterial switch operation is an open-heart procedure. It is used to correct many forms of transposition of the great arteries, a congenital heart defect in which the aorta and the pulmonary artery are reversed. The surgery switches the two arteries back to their normal positions so the aorta is connected to the left ventricle and the pulmonary artery is connected to the right ventricle. The coronary arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to nourish the heart muscle also must be re-attached to the new aorta.
