An assessment of Mustard's operation as a palliative procedure for transposition of the great vessels.

Ten patients in whom palliative Mustard operations have been performed for transposition of the great vessels with ventricular septal defect and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance are reported. There has been early or late mortality in this group of patients, and postoperative morbidity has been minimal. Five of them have been recatheterized, and the results indicate substantial improvement in postoperative arterial oxygen saturation with change in pulmonary vascular resistance. The operation is reserved for those patients in whom peripheral desaturation is the major cause of symptomatology. Clinical improvement has been gratifying, and the continued use of the operation in selected patients seen indicated.