Treatment

Surgery is generally needed when a child is a baby. The timing of surgery depends on whether or not there's a blockage. To repair this congenital heart defect, surgeons connect the pulmonary veins to the left atrium and close the hole between the atria.

A person with total anomalous pulmonary venous return will need regular doctor's checkups with cardiologists trained in congenital heart disease to monitor for infection, blockages or heart rhythm problems.