
Superior vena cava (VEE-nuh KAY-vuh): the large vein that returns blood from the head and arms to the heart.
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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 MoreHypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Surgery: The Fontan Procedure
The Fontan procedure is open-heart surgery done as the third of three surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Read MoreHypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Surgery: The Glenn Procedure
The Glenn procedure is open-heart surgery done as the second of three surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Read MoreHypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Surgery: The Norwood Procedure
The Norwood procedure is open-heart surgery done as the first of three surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
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.
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