Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome - Pre-surgical Management

Pre-surgical Management

Without life-prolonging interventions, HLHS is fatal, but with intervention, an infant may survive. A pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon may perform a series of operations or a full heart transplant. In the meantime, the ductus must be kept open to allow blood-flow using medication containing prostaglandin. Subatmospheric concentrations of oxygen are used in the preoperative and postoperative care of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This technique increases the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and thereby improves systemic blood flow. Achieving oxygen levels below atmosphere requires the use of inhaled nitrogen.