The Glenn procedure is the second of three surgeries for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The Glenn procedure is done after the Norwood procedure and before the Fontan procedure. It also is the second surgery for patients with complex single ventricles.

The cardiothoracic surgeons at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, typically perform the operation when the patient is between 4 and 6 months old.

As the leading providers of pediatric heart care in Louisville and Southern Indiana, the cardiothoracic surgeons at Norton Children’s Heart Institute are trained and experienced in the Glenn and Fontan procedures associated with the treatment of all single ventricle patients, including those with HLHS.

Our board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists will develop a customized treatment plan for you and your child.

What Is the Glenn Procedure?

The goals of the open-heart Glenn procedure:

• Make blood from the upper part of the body (head, neck and arms) go directly to the lungs. This lets the blood pick up oxygen without passing through the heart.
• Take some of the extra work away from the single ventricle. Until now, the only working ventricle in a baby with an HLHS single ventricle lesion has been pumping blood to both the lungs and the body.

To redirect blood flow from the upper body to the lungs, Norton Children’s Heart Institute cardiothoracic surgeons disconnect the superior vena cava (the vein that brings blood back from the upper part of the body) from the heart and reattach it to the pulmonary artery.

If present, they also remove the shunt that may have been placed during an initial operation, such as the Norwood procedure. A shunt is no longer needed because blood from the upper body will now go to the pulmonary artery and on to the lungs. Also, the single ventricle now has a single job: pumping blood to the body.

Learn More About:

• HLHS
• Norwood procedure
• Fontan procedure

Glenn Procedure Recovery

Babies who have the Glenn procedure usually spend one to two weeks in the hospital to recover. They also get medicines to help the heart and improve blood flow. At Norton Children’s Hospital, they will receive around-the-clock care and monitoring.