Conditions We Treat

We treat children and young adults who have had a Fontan procedure to treat a single-ventricle heart defect (univentricular heart). In these rare disorders, one lower chamber of the heart may be smaller, underdeveloped or missing a valve.

Single-ventricle heart defects can include:

• Hypoplastic left heart syndrome — The left side of the heart is underdeveloped. The aorta and left ventricle are too small, and the holes in the artery and septum do not close.
• Pulmonary atresia or intact ventricular septum — There is no pulmonary valve. The only blood receiving oxygen is diverted to the lungs through openings that normally close during development.
• Tricuspid atresia — There is no tricuspid valve, so blood cannot properly flow from the body into the heart.