A Norwood procedure improves blood circulation in a baby born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This operation lets a baby’s right ventricle take over for an underdeveloped left ventricle and aorta.

The Norwood procedure is the first of three palliative surgeries for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and other complex heart defects with single ventricle physiology intended to create a new functional single ventricle system. [1]

2024年6月20日 · The Norwood procedure is a complex surgical intervention performed in neonates born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or other forms of single ventricle heart disease. The goal of the Norwood procedure is to anatomically restructure the heart to enable the lone functional ventricle to pump blood to both the systemic and pulmonary circulations.

The Norwood procedure is a type of open-heart surgery for babies born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. It is usually done in the first few weeks of life. Why Does a Baby Need the Norwood Procedure?

During staged reconstruction, surgeons perform a series of procedures over several years, including the Norwood procedure, Glenn operation, and Fontan procedure.

The Norwood surgery is one of the most complex and high risk procedures in the staged reconstruction surgeries for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Current surgeries have led to a survival rate of 75 percent or better.

The Norwood heart procedure is the first of three staged congenital heart surgeries to correct hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and other single ventricle heart defects. The Norwood operation usually occurs within a week of birth.

Why is the Norwood operation done? Since the heart's left side does not pump well, the heart is rebuilt so the right side of the heart becomes the main pumping chamber. After the Norwood, the right ventricle pumps blood to both the lungs and the body.

Several reports suggest that the results of the Norwood procedure have improved markedly over the last 5 years. For example, Daebritz reviewed 194 patients who underwent a stage-1 Norwood procedure between 1990 and 1998 at Children's Hospital Boston. The operative mortality decreased from 38.5% between 1990 and 1994 to 21.4% after 1994 (p=0.02).

The Norwood procedure is a three-stage heart surgery to create a new functional systemic circuit in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Stage 1 of the Norwood procedure involves atrial septectomy and transection and ligation of the distal main pulmonary artery.