diff --git a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/_helpers.py b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/_helpers.py
index 2fcdd59137..4f8871c7dd 100644
--- a/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/_helpers.py
+++ b/google/cloud/spanner_dbapi/_helpers.py
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-
+from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.exceptions import OperationalError
 from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import get_param_types
 from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import parse_insert
 from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.parse_utils import sql_pyformat_args_to_spanner
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import param_types
-
+from google.rpc.code_pb2 import OK
 
 SQL_LIST_TABLES = """
             SELECT
@@ -56,10 +56,14 @@
 
 
 def _execute_insert_heterogenous(transaction, sql_params_list):
+    statements = []
     for sql, params in sql_params_list:
         sql, params = sql_pyformat_args_to_spanner(sql, params)
         param_types = get_param_types(params)
-        transaction.execute_update(sql, params=params, param_types=param_types)
+        statements.append((sql, params, param_types))
+    status, _ = transaction.batch_update(statements)
+    if status.code != OK:
+        raise OperationalError(status.message)
 
 
 def _execute_insert_homogenous(transaction, parts):
diff --git a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test__helpers.py b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test__helpers.py
index 84d6b3e323..297cc9d679 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test__helpers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test__helpers.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 class TestHelpers(unittest.TestCase):
     def test__execute_insert_heterogenous(self):
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi import _helpers
+        from google.rpc.status_pb2 import Status
+        from google.rpc.code_pb2 import OK
 
         sql = "sql"
         params = (sql, None)
@@ -32,12 +34,43 @@ def test__execute_insert_heterogenous(self):
                 "google.cloud.spanner_dbapi._helpers.get_param_types", return_value=None
             ) as mock_param_types:
                 transaction = mock.MagicMock()
-                transaction.execute_update = mock_execute = mock.MagicMock()
+                status = Status(code=OK)
+                transaction.batch_update = mock_batch = mock.MagicMock(
+                    return_value=(status, 1)
+                )
                 _helpers._execute_insert_heterogenous(transaction, [params])
 
                 mock_pyformat.assert_called_once_with(params[0], params[1])
                 mock_param_types.assert_called_once_with(None)
-                mock_execute.assert_called_once_with(sql, params=None, param_types=None)
+                mock_batch.assert_called_once_with([(sql, None, None)])
+
+    def test__execute_insert_heterogenous_error(self):
+        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi import _helpers
+        from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi import OperationalError
+        from google.rpc.status_pb2 import Status
+        from google.rpc.code_pb2 import UNKNOWN
+
+        sql = "sql"
+        params = (sql, None)
+        with mock.patch(
+            "google.cloud.spanner_dbapi._helpers.sql_pyformat_args_to_spanner",
+            return_value=params,
+        ) as mock_pyformat:
+            with mock.patch(
+                "google.cloud.spanner_dbapi._helpers.get_param_types", return_value=None
+            ) as mock_param_types:
+                transaction = mock.MagicMock()
+                status = Status(code=UNKNOWN)
+                transaction.batch_update = mock_batch = mock.MagicMock(
+                    return_value=(status, 0)
+                )
+
+                with self.assertRaises(OperationalError):
+                    _helpers._execute_insert_heterogenous(transaction, [params])
+
+                mock_pyformat.assert_called_once_with(params[0], params[1])
+                mock_param_types.assert_called_once_with(None)
+                mock_batch.assert_called_once_with([(sql, None, None)])
 
     def test__execute_insert_homogenous(self):
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi import _helpers
diff --git a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
index 34e50255f9..2b0938637f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/unit/spanner_dbapi/test_connection.py
@@ -387,13 +387,17 @@ def test_run_statement_w_heterogenous_insert_statements(self):
         """Check that Connection executed heterogenous insert statements."""
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.checksum import ResultsChecksum
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.cursor import Statement
+        from google.rpc.status_pb2 import Status
+        from google.rpc.code_pb2 import OK
 
         sql = "INSERT INTO T (f1, f2) VALUES (1, 2)"
         params = None
         param_types = None
 
         connection = self._make_connection()
-        connection.transaction_checkout = mock.Mock()
+        transaction = mock.MagicMock()
+        connection.transaction_checkout = mock.Mock(return_value=transaction)
+        transaction.batch_update = mock.Mock(return_value=(Status(code=OK), 1))
         statement = Statement(sql, params, param_types, ResultsChecksum(), True)
 
         connection.run_statement(statement, retried=True)
@@ -404,13 +408,17 @@ def test_run_statement_w_homogeneous_insert_statements(self):
         """Check that Connection executed homogeneous insert statements."""
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.checksum import ResultsChecksum
         from google.cloud.spanner_dbapi.cursor import Statement
+        from google.rpc.status_pb2 import Status
+        from google.rpc.code_pb2 import OK
 
         sql = "INSERT INTO T (f1, f2) VALUES (%s, %s), (%s, %s)"
         params = ["a", "b", "c", "d"]
         param_types = {"f1": str, "f2": str}
 
         connection = self._make_connection()
-        connection.transaction_checkout = mock.Mock()
+        transaction = mock.MagicMock()
+        connection.transaction_checkout = mock.Mock(return_value=transaction)
+        transaction.batch_update = mock.Mock(return_value=(Status(code=OK), 1))
         statement = Statement(sql, params, param_types, ResultsChecksum(), True)
 
         connection.run_statement(statement, retried=True)