Treatment

If you aren't having symptoms or if there isn't much mixing of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood, surgery may not be needed to treat this condition.

Surgery may be needed if there is a large amount of oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mixing in the heart, or if the condition causes many lung infections. If surgery for another heart condition is needed, surgeons may repair this heart defect at the same time.

To repair this defect, surgeons generally reconnect the pulmonary veins to the left atrium. Surgeons will also close the hole in the heart if there is one.

Children will need regular follow-up appointments with pediatric cardiologists. Adults with this heart defect will need lifelong care and regular follow-up appointments with doctors trained in congenital heart conditions (adult congenital cardiologists) to monitor for any changes in their condition.