This page has links to web pages of children with HypoPlastic Left Heart Syndrome. Below is the picture of some of the HLHS kids and their siblings in our group. We will be adding more pages of kids in the near feature. Please check back periodically
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome or HLHS means the whole left side of the heart did not develop normally. In kids with HLHS, the left side of the heart - including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve - is underdeveloped. It may be because the left part of the heart structure is hypoplastic (meaning absent and/or missing) or small, or some of the blood vessels are too small so the flow of the good blood is very low. It is either one or combination of all the abnormalities in the structure of the left part of the heart.
The sevirity of abnormality varies from child to child. Because of this condition all the organs in the body gets less oxygenated blood and won't be able to function normally. This is very dangerous that is why the child needs to undergo surgical treatment in order to survive.
If the heart defect is detected while the child is in-utero and early in the pregnency then the choices are either medically treated abortion or keeping the child and contact a pediatric cordiologist and necessary medical professionals.
If HLHS is detected after birth there are 3 choices: Surgical procedures called Norwood procedures, Heart transplant or take the child home after the diagnosis and just watch them.
The Norwood Procedure diagrams are taken from Elliot's book at Children's hospital of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For more in depth information on HLHS, try one of the pages on the LINKS page.
