Truncus Arteriosus is a rare type of heart disease in which a single blood vessel (truncus arteriosus) comes out of the right and left ventricles, instead of the normal 2 vessels (pulmonary artery and aorta). It is present at birth (congenital heart disease).
The repair of truncus arteriosus requires separation of the pulmonary artery bifurcation from the single arterial trunk, closure of the ventricular septal defect, and establishment of an unobstructed pathway from the right ventricle to the pulmonary arteries. This operation is now performed routinely.
