How successful are the treatments for hypoplastic left heart syndrome? Can my child expect to have a full, normal length of life?
The outlook is different for each baby. Ask your heart doctor about what to expect for your baby. Each stage of the different surgical repair procedures carries different risks and complications. Also, the outcomes at each medical facility are different, based on the number of cases performed and the surgeon’s experience. Be sure to ask your heart doctor about these concerns.
Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome will need check-up appointments throughout their lives to evaluate how well their hearts and other organs, such as livers and kidneys, are working. Other tests, such as cardiac MRI or cardiac catheterization, will also be performed periodically. Many children will require heart medicines, as well as antibiotics before dental work or other surgeries, to reduce the risk of infection to the heart valves (a condition called endocarditis).