Rashkind's operation in treatment of complete transposition of the great vessels in the newborn and infants.

The study is a result of many years investigations of a large pediatric team consisting of physicians from various specialities on the methods of management in cases of transposition of greater arterial vessels. Trials of surgical treatment requiring thoracotomy in the newborn with severe cardiorespiratory failure gave no good results. In recent years 65 operations of atrioseptostomy without thoracotomy were carried out during cardiac catheterization. In nearly half the cases improvement of the general condition was obtained with survival for several months or even over one year, but close supervision was required and the children were being prepared for more radical cardiosurgical operations.