Our Special Heart Baby

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As many have heard, Tyler was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, HLHS. It is one of the most severe congenital heart defects which affects about 1/5,000 births. A normal baby's heart is comprised of 4 chambers: the upper chambers or atria and the lower chambers or ventricles. In a healthy heart, blood flows from the right atrium to the right ventricle where it is then pumped through the pulmonary artery and lungs to be oxygenated. Blood then travels back to the heart through the left atrium and left ventricle which pumps it to the entire body. Tyler's left ventricle and aorta are essentially too small to adequately pump oxygenated blood to his body. Medical advances in the past 10 years have given HLHS children a much greater chance of survival. Tyler will undergo major open heart surgery at UCSF his first week of life, a second surgery at around 4-6 months and a final surgery at 1.5-3 years. His heart will essentially be converted from a 4 to a 2 chamber heart. The long term prognosis is unknown, but doctors imagine that children who undergo the staged palliation will eventually need a heart transplant. For more information on HLHS feel free to visit:
http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site502/mainpageS502P0.html

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