Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Research Paper Sample
What was once a death sentence for infant’s diagnose with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, life expectancy has been increasing for patients with this cardiac abnormality. Cardiologist have been able to make changes in patterns of blood flow in the heart, due to medical technology and treatments. These advances in the medical field have had better results for infants born with this syndrome.
Hypoplastic left Heart syndrome or also known as HLHS, is an abnormal pattern of blood flow in the cardiac It is still the leading cause of mortality in infants if left untreated. Infants appear normal the first few days of life, while the ductus arteriosus (DA) and foramen ovale remain open (Goldberg, 2014). As the DA and foramen ovale closes infants develop difficulty breathing and cyanosis because of the de-oxygenated blood flow (Mai, 2020). It wasn’t until the 1980’s when the use of the right ventricle was used to change the circulation of oxygenated blood to the right ventricle (Barron, Hypoplastic left heart syndome, 2014). A team of cardiologist can intervene with medications to keep the DA and foramen ovale open to improve quality of life.
With advances in medical technology the use of echocardiogram can provide prenatal diagnosis of undeveloped left ventricle as early at 16 weeks of gestational age (Dianna, 2001). For physicians it’s been a benefit to have this technology available not only for early diagnosis, but to have early prognosis conversations with parents to address the surgical intervention and possibilities of heart transplant. With surgical procedures advancing, cardiologist can redirect the blood flow to the right ventricle as patients will undergo several surgical procedures (Burns, n.d.). While other medical technology moves forward a new method has been introduced called fetus balloon valvuloplasty (Rychik, 2014). This procedure is being performed in utero, while research is still being performed several factors are still being address, such as patient selection and creating a different set of problems that are still unknown.
There are several treatments to change the pattern of blood flow, one of the first things that a patient receives before any surgical intervention is intravenous medications. Medications are a big part for the circulation of blood flow, patients will be placed on medications for their whole life span, such alprostadil helps maintain the ductus arteriosus open as it widened the blood vessels, along with other medication such digitalis and diuretics (Research, 2020). 3 stage surgical intervention will be required, starting with the Norwood which is done the first two weeks of life, followed by the Bi directional Glenn at 3-6 months and the final stage is the Fontan which can be done as early as 18 months to 4 years of age. Depending on the severity of the patient after the 3 stages of surgeries have taken place, heart transplant is the other surgical option (Research, 2020). Heart transplant is the last option and it’s still not for sure that patients will survive as there is a 70% mortality rate after one year (Alsoufi B, 2016). Transplantation will be considered, but the other factors are short list of donors and compatibility.
Medicine has been evolving in the last decades, as it continues to make advances in medicine and developing new technology. A left ventricular assist device or better known as lvad is placed on patients waiting on a heart transplant. This device is inserted in patients and can go home while they wait on the donor list for a heart to be available. Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until its done.” As cardiologist and researchers continue to think outside the box and make the impossible, possible, they still have a long road ahead for curing this disease, as it continues to be the highest rate of mortality in all cardiac defects.
