Rebuilding a whole heart for children born with only half of one
Tuesday, November 6, 2012 - 14:25
in Health & Medicine
Using a combination of surgical procedures developed over the last 11 years, surgeons have established a new approach for rebuilding the heart in children born with a severe heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This "staged left ventricle recruitment" strategy uses the existing standard single-ventricle treatment for HLHS and additional procedures to spur the body's capacity for healing and growth and encourage the small left ventricle in these children to grow and function.