General health status of children with D-transposition of the great arteries after the arterial switch operation

Background-To study the long-term impact on general health status Of D-tran sposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) after the arterial switch operation (ASO) during infancy, we asked parents to complete the Child Health Questi onnaire, Parent Form-50 when their children were 8 years old. Methods and Results-Of 160 eligible patients, questionnaires were completed for 155 subjects (96%). Median age at surgery was 6 days (range 1 to 67 da ys), and median age at completion of the Child Health Questionnaire was 8.1 years (7.6 to 10.0 years). Subsequent to questionnaire completion, childre n underwent psychometric testing. Mean Physical Health Summary and Psychoso cial Summary scores were 54.0 +/-6.1 and 49.7 +/-9.9, respectively, which w ere similar to those of normal subjects. Compared with the normative sample , parents of D-TGA patients reported more problems with attention, learning , and speech, as well as greater frequency of developmental delay (P <0.001 for each). Worse Psychosocial Summary scores were significantly associated with lower full-scale IQ (P=0.001) and lower achievement in reading (P=0.0 05) and math (P=0.007). Worse Physical Health Summary scores were associate d with longer hospital stay after the ASO (P=0.02). General health status s cores were not significantly related to presence of ventricular septal defe ct, age at surgery, perfusion variables during the ASO. sex, or history of cardiac reoperation. Conclusions-At age 8 years, children with D-TGA after ASO have an overall p hysical and psychosocial health status similar to that of the general popul ation. Lower IQ and academic achievement are associated with worse psychoso cial health status. whereas longer hospital course after initial surgery is associated with worse physical health status.