[SkiptoContent]SharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterSharetoPinterestShareviaEmailKidsHealth/forParents/HypoplasticLeftHeartSyndromeSurgery:TheNorwoodProcedureHypoplasticLeftHeartSyndromeSurgery:TheNorwoodProcedureReviewedby:MichaelA.Bingler,MDLargertextsizeLargetextsizeRegulartextsizePrintenespañolCirugíacorrectoradelsíndromedecorazónizquierdohipoplásico:elprocedimientodeNorwoodWhyDoesaBabyNeedtheNorwoodProcedure?Withoutmedicinesandaseriesofthreesurgeriestorebuildtheheart,babieswithhypoplasticleftheartsyndrome(HLHS)won'tsurvive.Theleftsideoftheheartcan'tbefixed,sothegoalofthesurgeriesistorebuildpartsoftheheartand"redirect"thewaybloodflows.ThefirstsurgeryiscalledtheNorwoodprocedure.It’susuallydonewhenababyisaround1–2weeksold.WhatIstheNorwoodProcedure?TheNorwoodprocedureisatypeofopen-heartsurgery.Thegoalsareto:Buildanewaorta(themainpathfromthehearttothebody).Maketherightventriclepumpbloodtothebodythroughthenewaorta.Maketherightventriclepumpbloodtothelungsthroughanewpathtothepulmonaryartery(themainpathfromthehearttothelungs).WhatHappensDuringtheNorwoodProcedure?ThemainstepsoftheNorwoodprocedureare:Buildinganew,largeraorta.Thebottompartofthepulmonaryarteryisjoinedwiththebaby'sweak,undevelopedaorta.Thisnewaortaisnowthepathfromtherightventricletothebody.Becausethebottomofthepulmonaryarteryisusedtomakethenewaorta,anewpathfromthehearttothelungshastobebuiltby:Usingashunttogetbloodtothelungs.Aroundtubeor"shunt"routesbloodeitherfromtheaorta(withaBlaylock-TaussigorBTshunt)ordirectlyfromtherightventricle(withaSanoshunt)tothepulmonaryartery.Thecareteamwilldecidewhichshuntisbestforthebaby.Theshuntisatemporaryfix.Ithelpsthebabygetbloodtothelungsuntilthenextsurgery,whichcreatesamorepermanentsolution.Closingthepatentductusarteriosus(PDA).Untilnow,thePDAwastheonlywaybloodcouldflowtothebody.Nowthattherightventriclehastakenoverpumpingtothebody,thePDAisn'tneededanymore.Openingtheatrialseptaldefect.Tomakesurebloodwithoxygengetsbacktotherightventricle,theatrialseptaldefectismadebigger.WhatHappensA