Hypoplastic left heart syndrome medical therapy

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, M.B.B.S.[2], Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3], Keri Shafer, M.D. [4]; Assistant Editor(s)-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S.[5]

Failure to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome can be fatal for the infant. Medical therapy can be used prior to surgical intervention to allow the ductus to open and promote bloodflow. It is only a temporary solution, surgical intervention is needed to ultimately repair hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Without treatment, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is fatal, but with intervention, an infant may survive. As a cardiothoracic surgeon diagnostically evaluates a patient’s candidacy for surgical therapy, medical therapies are necessary to help sustain a patient’s quality of life and prevent further complications from arising. A medication containing prostaglandin will likely be prescribed to keep the ductus open, allow blood flow, and prevent hemodynamic disruption.

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