Arterial Switch Operation in India

In transposition of the great arteries (TGA), the aorta arises from the right side of the heart and the lung artery from the left. Oxygen-poor blood is pumped back to the body, and babies become very blue soon after birth. They survive initially only if blood mixes through a hole in the heart or an open duct.

The arterial switch operation moves the two arteries to their correct positions and transfers the tiny coronary arteries to the new aorta. It is a complex open-heart operation done in the first weeks of life. Some babies first need a balloon septostomy (a catheter procedure that enlarges a hole) to stabilise oxygen levels.

Who needs arterial switch operation

• Newborns with transposition of the great arteries and an intact ventricular septum
• Babies with transposition and a ventricular septal defect
• Selected older infants after heart training procedures
• Babies with certain related anomalies such as Taussig-Bing heart

How it is done

1. Diagnosis is made by echo, often before birth or soon after.
2. Prostaglandin medicine keeps the duct open; a balloon septostomy may be done.
3. Under general anaesthesia, the breastbone is opened and the heart-lung machine connected.
4. The aorta and lung artery are cut and swapped to the correct ventricles.
5. The coronary arteries are moved to the new aorta.
6. Any hole is closed, the heart restarted and the baby moved to intensive care.

Before you travel to India

• Echo reports and images confirming transposition
• Oxygen levels, prostaglandin dose and any septostomy details
• Discussion with doctors about medically escorted air ambulance transfer
• Birth records and guardian documents for consent

Recovery and flying home

• Neonatal cardiac intensive care stay, sometimes with the chest left open briefly
• Gradual removal of breathing support and lines
• Feeding support until the baby feeds well
• Flying home only after the team confirms stability
• Lifelong cardiology follow-up to check the coronary arteries and great vessels

Risks

• Problems with blood flow through moved coronary arteries
• Narrowing of the lung artery or aorta later
• Rhythm problems
• Bleeding, infection or kidney strain
• Need for further procedures

Alternatives

• Older atrial switch operations, now rarely used
• Rastelli or other procedures for specific anatomies

Conditions treated

• Congenital Heart Disease

Hospitals in India for arterial switch operation

• Medanta - The MedicityDelhi NCR
• Aster MedcityKochi
• Artemis HospitalDelhi NCR
• Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research InstituteMumbai
• Indraprastha Apollo HospitalsDelhi NCR
• BLK-Max Super Speciality HospitalDelhi NCR
• Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, KolkataKolkata
• Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences (Narayana Health City)Bengaluru
• Apollo Hospitals, Navi MumbaiMumbai

How these hospitals compare

Specialists

• Dr Kulbhushan Singh DagarMax Super Speciality Hospital, Saket
• Dr Anurag KrishnaMax Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket
• Dr Krishna Subramony IyerFortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla
• Dr Vikas DuaFortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram
• Dr Suresh RaoKokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
• Dr R Krishna KumarAmrita Hospital (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences)

Frequently asked questions

Medically reviewed by The Curaventa Team. Last updated 2026-10-24. General information, not medical advice. Medical editorial board · Editorial policy · How we get prices