Truncus arteriosus is a rare congenital heart defect in which one blood vessel comes out of the heart instead of two. This happens when the vessel fails to divide during fetal development and the first signs of truncus arteriosus usually appear within the first days of life. The defect is critical and requires surgery. Le Bonheur’s surgeons’ goal is to repair the trunk so that it becomes a functioning aorta. The graph above shows that children who received a truncus repair at Le Bonheur from January 2015 to December 2018 had a 100 percent survival rate.
Why this is important: When it comes to truncus arteriosis, our surgeons perform better than the national average. Great outcomes and experienced surgeons make Le Bonheur a great choice for your child.
Le Bonheur’s Heart Institute measures quality using data compiled by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, or STS. STS gathers data from other top pediatric heart programs in the country, and publishes that information twice a year. This information helps us benchmark ourselves among other top pediatric heart programs.
