Archive for single ventricle defects
A reunion of the heart: Grace and Amy bond through HLHS
At first glance, Grace and Amy have a pretty typical friendship: they joke around, cheer each other on, and keep in touch mostly through texts and FaceTime. But look a little deeper and there’s something extraordinary about their bond, or more specifically, how and where it began. Grace, 22, and Amy, 21, were both born ... Read More about A reunion of the heart: Grace and Amy bond through HLHS
After surgeries to treat HLHS, Carter is healthy and happy at home in Florida
Carter Miller loves action. The 4-year-old Florida resident enjoys riding on golf carts and flying high on swing sets. It’s the kind of fun that make his parents, Andrea and Bo, appreciate where the family is now. Nearly five years ago, they were worried after a prenatal diagnosis showed Carter would be born with a ... Read More about After surgeries to treat HLHS, Carter is healthy and happy at home in Florida
Past patient outcomes could help single-ventricle surgery decisions
When considering whether a child who has a single-ventricle heart defect would benefit more from biventricular repair or the Fontan procedure, heart specialists have lacked a key tool to guide them: data that shows possible long-term health risks of each surgical option. But Boston Children’s heart specialists — who perform biventricular repair more often than any other pediatric hospital — ... Read More about Past patient outcomes could help single-ventricle surgery decisions
Conduction tissue mapping is shown to significantly reduce heart block
New research by Boston Children’s validates an innovative approach to mapping the heart’s invisible conduction tissue during surgery. Key takeaways Using a catheter to map unseen conduction tissue drastically reduces heart block during biventricular repair surgeries for several heart conditions. Conduction tissue was identified in 96 percent of patients who were mapped. Only 4 of ... Read More about Conduction tissue mapping is shown to significantly reduce heart block
A surgeon’s last-minute trip to Sri Lanka reduces children’s wait for needed heart repair
Last year, Dr. Christopher Baird got an offer he couldn’t refuse — something that happens often as he travels the world to demonstrate the heart surgery techniques he has learned and developed at Boston Children’s Hospital. At a heart surgery symposium in India, Dr. Baird had just performed a complex type of aortic valve reconstruction ... Read More about A surgeon’s last-minute trip to Sri Lanka reduces children’s wait for needed heart repair
From aerospace to the OR: 3D modeling improves surgical planning by revealing details of patients’ hearts
One of the most important tools for complex heart surgeries at Boston Children’s isn’t even in the operating room. For years, heart surgeons couldn’t see the complete extent of a patient’s condition until a procedure started, forcing them to rely on experience, diagnostic imaging, and other information to plan surgery. Now, 3D modeling allows them ... Read More about From aerospace to the OR: 3D modeling improves surgical planning by revealing details of patients’ hearts
Finding a way to help newborns who can’t immediately have heart treatment
Newborns with complex congenital heart defects (CHD) and pulmonary overcirculation often need treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, some of these children are not in good enough health to withstand surgery. To address this challenge, Boston Children’s heart specialists leaned into technological innovation, their experience, and a perseverance that would ultimately confirm their belief that even the ... Read More about Finding a way to help newborns who can’t immediately have heart treatment
A ‘super’ new heart surgery for a super kid
When you’re the first person in the world to undergo a new type of heart surgery, you don’t have to use the procedure’s clinical name. You can give it any name you want, even your own. That’s what 7-year-old Easton Schlein’s family has done. While his Boston Children’s cardiac surgery team calls the groundbreaking procedure a “reverse ... Read More about A ‘super’ new heart surgery for a super kid
Treatment for a complex congenital heart defect gives Alyvia ‘endless energy’
She may be just 3 years old, but Alyvia Parker is already making a difference for other kids with congenital heart defects (CHD). This month, she was a guest of honor at Gulfport City Hall, where, thanks to her and her mom’s advocacy, their hometown lawmakers proclaimed it Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week. The two also ... Read More about Treatment for a complex congenital heart defect gives Alyvia ‘endless energy’
Saving baby Marcela: A mother’s mission to finally hold her daughter
The translations of this page are translated from English into another language using Google Translate, a third party tool. Please note that such translations from the English language version may contain errors and/or inaccuracies as a result of the translation. Boston Children’s Hospital disclaims all liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may result from ... Read More about Saving baby Marcela: A mother’s mission to finally hold her daughter