Robert M. Freedom

ARTERIAL REPAIR OF TRANSPOSITION

Arterial repair of transposition was first successfully performed by Jatene[1] of Brazil in 1975. Many surgeons had attempted this logical approach to repair in the 1950’s (Idress, Mustard, Bjork, Bailey), but the complexity of the procedure precluded a successful outcome at a time when oxygenators, anaesthesia, surgical instruments and even sutures were at a relatively primitive stage of development. With the advent of simplified intra-atrial repairs (Senning & Mustard) in the 1960’s, interest in arterial repair waned. It was not until the late 1970’s that many surgeons, encouraged by Jatene’s success and an increasing awareness of the late problems following intra-atrial repair, reported experiences with arterial repair. [2–5]