Between May 1975 and August 1991, 184 patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) were operated upon by Jatene operation. One hundred and sixteen underwent corrective surgery prior to June 1987 with a follow-up period of between 50 and 182 months. The ages of these 116 patients ranged from 1 day to 84 months (11.53 +/- 15.98). Eleven percent were less than 1 month old, 38% were between 1 and 6 months, 29% between 7 and 12 months and 22% were older than this. Eighty-eight patients (76%) were boys and the weight ranged from 2.4 to 17.0 kg (6.39 +/- 3.38). Thirty-eight patients (20.7%) died in the immediate postoperative period. Of the survivors, 5 died in the late follow-up between 9 and 66 months (endocarditis at 9 and 66 months; gastroenteritis at 20 months; sudden death at 48 months; and during reoperation for relief of pulmonary stenosis (PS) at 60 months). Of the surviving 73 patients, 24 (32.9%) are anatomically normal at a mean period of 92.5 months postoperatively. Twenty-two (30.1%) have dysfunctions without clinical repercussion. Nineteen (26%) have had no recent evaluation and 8 (11%) were submitted to reoperation or angioplasty for relief of PS. Ninety-eight percent of the patients have normal left ventricular function. The majority of the patients surviving 50 to 182 months are in good clinical condition and if dysfunctions are present these show no progression or severe hemodynamic alterations.