Hypoplastic left heart syndrome overview


 * Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S.[mailto:psingh@perfuse.org],, Keri Shafer, M.D. [mailto:kshafer@bidmc.harvard.edu]; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S.[mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org]

Overview
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (also known as HLHS), is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. In babies with HLHS, the aorta and left ventricle are very small, and the aortic and mitral valves are either too small to allow sufficient blood flow or are atretic (closed) altogether. As blood returns from the lungs to the left atrium, it must pass through an atrial septal defect to the right side of the heart.