This results in blood going to the body which is less oxygenated than it should be and blood going to the lungs which is more oxygenated than it need to be. Untreated, the child will initially suffer from heart failure, which manifest as rapid breathing, poor feeding and failure to gain weight and grow properly. Within months bluish discoloration of the skin will increase. As damage of the blood vessels of the lung progress this will result in less blood flow to the lungs which will eventually cause death. However, with surgical treatment children will lead practically normal lives.
Surgical repair is recommended in the first two weeks of life.
A conduit connects the RV to the pulmonary artery and the VSD is closed with a patch. To relief this, repeat surgery or widening the pulmonary arteries in the cardiac catheterization laboratory may be needed. Repeat surgery may also be needed to replace the homograft, since it stays fixed in size and does not grow with the child.