Surgical Treatment Treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome requires either a three-step surgical procedure called staged palliation or a heart transplant. Staged palliation is considered one of the major achievements of congenital heart surgery in recent years.DepartmentofSurgery » Conditions&Procedures » HypoplasticLeftHeartSyndromeHypoplasticLeftHeartSyndromeInhypoplasticleftheartsyndrome,theleftsideoftheheart-thepartthatpumpsoxygenatedbloodtotherestofthebody-isunderdeveloped.Itstwochambers,calledtheleftatriumandtheleftventricle,andtheirvalvesmaybetiny,blockingtheflowofoxygenatedbloodfromthelungs.Theheartconsistsoffourchambers:thetwoupperchambers,calledatria,wherebloodenterstheheart,andthetwolowerchambers,calledventricles,wherebloodispumpedoutoftheheart.Theflowbetweenthechambersiscontrolledbyasetofvalvesthatactasone-waydoors.Normallybloodispumpedfromtherightsideoftheheartthroughthepulmonaryvalveandthepulmonaryarterytothelungs,wherethebloodisfilledwithoxygen.Fromthelungs,thebloodtravelsbackdowntotheleftatriumandleftventricle.Thenewlyoxygenatedbloodthenispumpedthroughanotherbigbloodvesselcalledtheaortatotherestofthebody.Babieswithhypoplasticleftheartsyndromemayseemhealthyatbirthbecausethepatentductusarteriosus(PDA)isstillopen.ThePDAisabloodvesselthatconnectsthepulmonaryarterytotheaorta,allowingbloodtocontinuecirculatingdirectlyintotheaortaandouttotherestofthebody,bypassingthelungsandthedefectiveleftsideoftheheart.OncethePDAclosesafewdaysafterbirth,bloodflowstothelungsandthentotheleftsideoftheheart,whereitisblockedandcan'tcirculatethroughtherestofthebody.DiagramofHealthyHeartandOne withHypoplasticLeftHeartSyndrome.Photo placedintopublicdomainbyMarianaRuiz,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hypoplastic_left_heart_syndrome.svgWithouttreatment,babiesafflictedwithhypoplasticleftheartsyndromecandiewithinthefirstdaysorweeksoflife.Treatmentconsistsofahearttransplantoraseriesofoperationstorestorethefunctionoftheleftsideoftheheart.IntravenousmedicationcankeepthePDAopenun