Congenital heart defect corrective surgeries

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		Heart, front view
Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat	Ultrasound, normal fetus - heartbeat

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Hypoplastic left heart repair

• This is a very severe heart defect that results from a severely underdeveloped left heart. If it is not treated, it causes death in most babies who are born with it. Operations to treat this defect are done at specialized medical centers. Usually surgery corrects this defect. A series of three heart operations is usually needed.
• The first operation is done in the first week of the baby's life. This is a complicated surgery where one blood vessel is created from the pulmonary artery and the aorta. This new vessel carries blood to the lungs and the rest of the body.
• The second operation is usually done when the baby is 4 to 6 months old.
• The third operation is done a year after the second operation.
• A heart transplant is another option for this condition. But finding a donor heart for an infant is very difficult. Infant heart transplants can be done only at a few medical centers.

Review Date: 11/01/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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