What is a "one-sided heart"?

[beachmom]

We had a baby born with some major heart defects (lg ventricular septal defect, transposition of vessels and two other things). We shipped him to the big hospital with neonatal cardiology. They told us he would be having surgery within a few days, and getting a "one-sided heart." What is this? It sounds like one atrium and one ventricle. How does the blood flow to the lungs and body?

It was really sad. The baby looked perfect when I took care of him, just O2 sats in the 70's and an odd heartbeat. I've been thinking a lot about him, and I'll likely never find out how it turned out. A one-sided heart doesn't sound good. I was just curious what it was and what are the implications.

[ICURNGUY]

Sounds like an

LVAD.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I really should know my congenital heart defects better, but we ship all heart defects out if they need surgery right away. I bet what they meant by "one-sided heart" is a surgical procedure that provides alternate passive circulation to the lungs, whereas the right ventricle is usually responsible for pumping blood to the lungs. Then they reroute the veins and arteries to use the right ventricle to pump the blood systemically, essentially taking the place of the left ventricle. I think this may be called the Fontan procedure. This weaker right ventricle can never provide the full output & function that the left ventricle could have had it been normal. Now since you said this infant had some transposition then it may be that making the right ventricle the main pumping ventricle may be the easiest way to repair this infant. These infants have long complicated courses in front of them. The PICU forum has several very knowledgeable people there that could probably help you better regarding heart defects and their most current treatment.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

He's probably missing his left ventricle.