Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Expectations (prognosis)
If left untreated, hypoplastic left heart syndrome is fatal. Survival rates for the staged repair continue to rise as surgical techniques and postoperative management improve. Survival after the first stage is more than 75%.
The size and function of the right ventricle are important in determining the child's outcome after surgery.
Complications
Complications include:
- Blockage of the artificial shunt
- Chronic diarrhea (from a disease called protein losing enteropathy)
- Fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and in the lungs (pleural effusion)
- Heart failure
- Irregular, fast heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Strokes and other neurological complications
- Sudden death
Calling your health care provider
Contact your health care provider immediately if your infant:
- Eats less (decreased feeding)
- Has blue (cyanotic) skin or mucus membranes
- Has new changes in breathing patterns
Review Date: 12/21/2009
Reviewed By: Kurt R. Schumacher, MD, Pediatric Cardiology, University of
Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Ann Arbor, MI. 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)
