Single ventricle physiology is a term for a group of congenital heart defects (CHDs) that affect the heart's pumping chambers:
Anatomy
In a single ventricle heart, one of the heart's two ventricles is either underdeveloped or missing a valve, so it can't pump effectively.
Physiology
In a single ventricle heart, the single ventricle pumps blood to both the systemic and pulmonary circulations, mixing oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
Symptoms
Symptoms include cyanosis (blue or purple lips, skin, and nails), difficulty feeding and breathing, lethargy, and poor weight gain.
Causes
Single ventricle heart defects are usually caused by genetic factors, but environmental factors can also contribute.
Diagnosis
Doctors can often detect single ventricle heart defects before birth with a fetal echocardiogram.
Treatment
Treatments include surgery, care, and close monitoring by an expert care team.
Some types of single ventricle heart defects include:
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS): A severe defect where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped
Tricuspid atresia: A defect where the right heart structures are poorly developed
Double outlet left ventricle (DOLV): A defect where both major arteries connect to the left ventricle
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