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214-456-2333
Fax: 214-456-2714
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Fax: 469-303-4310
Prosper
972-331-9700
Fax: 972-331-9833
Request an Appointment with codes: Cardiology (Heart Center)
Surgery is the only way to fix a total anomalous pulmonary venous return, a rare congenital birth defect of the heart. Children’s Health℠ has a team of experts who’ve dedicated their entire careers to helping children with TAPVR lead active, healthy lives after surgery.
214-456-2333
Fax: 214-456-2714
469-303-4300
Fax: 469-303-4310
972-331-9700
Fax: 972-331-9833
Request an Appointment with codes: Cardiology (Heart Center)
Total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR) makes it hard for the heart to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. In a healthy heart, the right-side pumps blood to the lungs to get oxygen. That blood then returns through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart to be pumped to the body.
TAPVR develops during the first four to six weeks of pregnancy because the child's heart doesn’t develop normally. In TAPVR, a child's blood vessels (pulmonary veins) connect to the wrong side of the heart. When this happens, the oxygen in the lungs can't be brought to the rest of the body efficiently.
This is the most common type of TAPVR. The word “supra” means “above or over.” In supracardiac TAPVR, the pulmonary veins come together and connect to a blood vessel called the superior vena cava above the heart.
The superior vena cava usually brings oxygen-poor blood from the upper part of the body to the heart so it can be pumped to the lungs where it picks up oxygen. In supracardiac TAPVR, this abnormal connection reduces the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the body.
There are two types of cardiac TAPVR. In both types, the oxygen-rich blood returning from the lungs is connected to the wrong side of the heart:
Both of these conditions decrease delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the body.
In a typical heart, the inferior vena cava is the main blood vessel that brings oxygen-poor blood from the bottom part of the body to the heart. With infracardiac TAPVR, the pulmonary veins don’t form correctly and connect to the inferior vena cava to the liver blood vessels below the heart.
The pulmonary veins may be narrowed in this type of TAPVR. This condition can cause a severe decrease in the delivery of oxygen-rich blood to the body.
In some cases, signs of TAPVR show up during prenatal tests, such as a fetal ultrasound. Children can develop symptoms within the first weeks, months or year of their life.
These symptoms include:
Cardiologists use several methods and tests to diagnose TAPVR.
These include:
We don’t know what causes TAPVR, but we do know the defect develops during the first four to six weeks of pregnancy. It’s not caused by anything a mother or father did or did not do.
Children with TAPVR need surgery to restore normal blood flow to and through the heart. Your child’s surgeon will discuss which surgery is right for your child.
Exactly when your child has surgery depends on how serious their condition is:
After surgery, your child will need regular follow-up care to check for complications and other heart conditions.
Our nationally recognized team of cardiologists and heart surgeons can help your child live their best life.
We don't know what causes TAPVR. We do know that some congenital heart defects have genetic links, and some families can be more likely to have heart issues.
Yes. The only effective treatment for TAPVR is surgery. The good news is that after your child recovers, he or she can expect to live a healthy, active life.