The Norwood procedure is the first of three surgeries required to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Because the left side of the heart can’t be fixed, the series of HLHS surgeries rebuilds other parts of the heart to redirect the blood flow.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome once was considered inoperable. Advances such as the three procedures currently used to treat the condition give more babies the chance to live full lives.
This first step in the series of surgeries is performed in the baby’s first or second week of life.
Cardiothoracic surgeons at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, have three goals for the open-heart Norwood procedure:
- Build a new aorta.
- Direct blood from the right ventricle through the new aorta and on to the rest of the body.
- Direct the right ventricle to pump blood to the lungs until the next surgery.
The board-certified and fellowship-trained cardiothoracic surgeons at Norton Children’s Heart Institute are equipped to perform the Norwood procedure — the most complicated of the three HLHS surgeries. Once your child goes home after a Norwood procedure, you will have a hotline directly to the team for support anytime, day or night.