Left atrium: one of the four chambers of the heart. The left atrium receives blood full of oxygen from the lungs and then empties the blood into the left ventricle.
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Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth defect of a baby’s heart. The left side of the heart doesn’t grow as it should, making it smaller and weaker than normal.
Read MoreDictionary: Aorta
The aorta is the major blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
Read MoreDictionary: Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt
A Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt is a small, soft tube that lets blood in the body be redirected.
Read MoreDictionary: Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement that tells how hard the heart is pumping to move blood through the blood vessels.
Read MoreDictionary: Heart Transplant
A heart transplant is a surgery where doctors remove a person's sick heart and replace it with a healthy donor heart.
Read MoreDictionary: Inferior Vena Cava
The inferior vena cava is the large vein that returns blood from the legs and abdomen to the heart.
Read MoreDictionary: Interstage Period
Babies with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) need three surgeries. The time between the first and second surgeries is called the interstage period.
Read MoreDictionary: Open-Heart Surgery
Open-heart surgery is surgery that involves opening the chest and heart. A heart-lung machine does the work for the heart and lungs during the procedure.
Read MoreDictionary: Sano shunt
A Sano shunt is a small, soft tube that lets blood in the body be redirected.
Read MoreDictionary: Single Ventricle Defect
Having a single ventricle means that only one of the heart's two ventricles (pumping chambers) works well enough to pump blood.
Read MoreDictionary: Superior Vena Cava
The superior vena cava is the large vein that returns blood from the head and arms to the heart.
Read MoreHeart and Circulatory System
The heart and circulatory system are our body's lifeline, delivering blood to the body's tissues. Brush up on your ticker with this body basics article.
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