Norwood Procedures and Sano Modification

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is characterized by hypoplasia of the left heart and varying degrees of hypoplasia or atresia of the aortic valve and ascending aorta. It is included in the spectrum of conditions that can result in a cardiac circulation with a functionally single ventricle. Left untreated, HLHS is invariably lethal. Advances in palliative surgical procedures (Norwood procedure, bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt, modified Fontan procedure) have increased the survival rate in children with HLHS.