Post-operative troponin levels and left ventricular function in patients with d-transposition of the great arteries following the arterial switch operation

The aim of this study was to assess the significance of post-operative troponin levels as a surrogate for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction measured by global longitudinal strain (GLS) in patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) who undergo an arterial switch operation (ASO), and to explore the LV GLS recovery in the mid-term follow-up period. Seventy-eight neonates were included, of whom 41 had troponin-I measurements and 37 had troponin-T measurements. The primary outcome of LV GLS was assessed and compared with healthy controls at the pre-operative stage and time of discharge, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of age. Secondary outcomes included deaths or transplantations and other clinical markers such as length of hospital stay. D-TGA patients had worse LV GLS post-operatively compared to age-matched controls (p