atrial switch procedure

The atrial switch procedure is a type of heart surgery used to correct certain congenital heart defects, particularly conditions like transposition of the great arteries. In this procedure, the surgeon reroutes blood flow by switching the connections of the heart's upper chambers (the atria) to the lower chambers (the ventricles). This allows oxygen-poor blood to flow to the lungs for oxygen and oxygen-rich blood to circulate to the body. While it can improve heart function, newer techniques, such as the arterial switch procedure, are often preferred for their long-term outcomes.