Strategies For Treating Tricuspid Atresia

Specific Medication

Specific medication may be administered intravenously to an affected infant to help treat their tricuspid atresia heart defect. In healthy babies, the ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that makes a connection between the main pulmonary artery or artery leading from the heart to the lungs to the descending aorta. This blood vessel allows the blood in the right ventricle to skip a trip through the fluid-filled lungs while the baby is still in utero. This connection normally closes a short time after the baby is born. However, infants born with tricuspid atresia may need that blood vessel to stay open because it can help reduce the implications of their heart defect. A medication called prostaglandin E1 or PGE1 can be used to open the ductus arteriosus and keep it that way temporarily until a stent can be implanted to replace the connection. Other specific medication may be given in combination with other treatment methods to help the infant's lung and heart function more effectively.

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