A single ventricle defect is a type of heart defect that a child is born with. It occurs when one of the two pumping chambers in the heart, called ventricles, isn’t large enough or strong enough to work correctly. In some cases, the chamber might be missing a valve.
Single ventricle heart defects can cause children to become cyanotic (turn a blue color), since a mixture of oxygen-poor (blue) and oxygen-rich (red) blood vessels leaves the heart and goes to the body. Just how much oxygen or how little oxygen depends on the type, location, and severity of the defect. Some children will only be mildly cyanotic, while others won’t have enough oxygen in the blood to meet the body's needs and will need early treatment.
Single ventricle defects are rare, affecting only about five out of 100,000 newborns. They are also one of the most complex heart problems, usually requiring at least one surgery.
There are several types of single ventricle defects. These include:
The uniquely complex anatomy of the heart and its chambers make each ventricle defect different.
