Superior vena cava (VEE-nuh KAY-vuh): the large vein that returns blood from the head and arms to the heart. Back to Articles Related Articles 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 More Hypoplastic 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 More Hypoplastic 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 More Hypoplastic 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 More Dictionary: Aorta The aorta is the major blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. Read More Dictionary: Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt A Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt is a small, soft tube that lets blood in the body be redirected. Read More Dictionary: Blood Pressure Blood pressure is a measurement that tells how hard the heart is pumping to move blood through the blood vessels. Read More Dictionary: 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 More Dictionary: Inferior Vena Cava The inferior vena cava is the large vein that returns blood from the legs and abdomen to the heart. Read More Dictionary: 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 More Dictionary: Left Ventricle The left ventricle pumps blood full of oxygen out to the body. Read More Dictionary: 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 More Dictionary: Sano shunt A Sano shunt is a small, soft tube that lets blood in the body be redirected. Read More Dictionary: 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 More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.