Single Ventricle Program

• Yves d’Udekem, M.D., Ph.D., division chief of cardiac surgery, is an internationally recognized pediatric heart surgeon and well known for his leadership in managing single ventricle patients. He is passionate about innovations in single ventricle heart disease and life beyond Fontan surgery. He is especially interested in cardiopulmonary fitness and improving this in children who have had Fontan surgery.
• Manan Desai, M.D., is a pediatric cardiac surgeon and the surgical director of our heart transplant program. He is committed to improving outcomes for our most complex single ventricle defect patients, while also working to reduce the length of hospital stays and improving feeding practices.
• Aybala Tongut, M.D., is a pediatric cardiac surgeon and the director of our ECMO program. She trained under Richard Jonas, M.D., Yves d’Udekem, M.D., Ph.D., and Can Yerebakan, M.D., and can offer innovative surgical approaches for your child. She has demonstrated expertise with the hybrid technique, in addition to the three-staged surgical strategy for single ventricle defects.

• Our Prenatal Cardiology Program diagnoses heart problems during pregnancy using a fetal echocardiogram. This noninvasive imaging test allows doctors to look at your baby’s heart. We help you plan for a safe delivery and discuss treatment options for your baby before and after birth.
• After birth, our comprehensive care team in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) and on the cardiac care unit (called Heart and Kidney Unit or HKU) provide the highest level of care before your child has surgery and following each operation.  We will partner with your family to ensure you have the most up-to-date information and are involved in medical decision making.

• The time between the first and second single ventricle surgeries is called “interstage.” This is a high-risk time and requires close observation. We have a dedicated team exclusively created to monitor your child and act quickly if problems arise at home.
• We use telemedicine and tablet devices to review videos and information directly with you, the parent or guardian. Learn more about this program.

• Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. Our designated team has specially trained cardiac ICU physicians, cardiac anesthesiologists, pediatric cardiologists, as well as cardiac trained advanced practice providers and nurses.
• Our state-of-the-art telecommand center in the CICU provides real-time monitoring of data trends to recognize subtle changes in a child’s condition.
• Bedside family-centered rounds in the CICU and HKU help us hear directly from you if something is not right or you are worried. You know your child best and we value your insight and questions.

At Children’s National, we have highly advanced cardiac imaging capabilities. This is extremely valuable when evaluating your child for the right surgery at the right time. Our heart specialists perform thousands of imaging scans every year, giving us unparalleled experience and expertise.

Types of Cardiac Diagnostic Testing

• A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the heart, known as cardiac MRI, is an important tool for diagnosing congenital heart disease.
• Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive procedure in which we use a catheter (a long, thin, flexible tube) to access your child’s heart and blood vessels. We use cardiac catheterization as a tool for diagnosis – and even treatment – of congenital heart disease.

In our hybrid cardiac MRI suite, we can perform a cardiac MRI and a catheterization procedure at the same time. Performing the cardiac MRI and catheterization together reduces the amount of sedation (anesthesia) your child needs.

• We are one of the few experienced centers offering minimally invasive approaches for the tiniest and most high-risk infants, like the hybrid procedure.
• Most single ventricle patients will undergo a three-staged surgical repair consisting of surgery in the newborn period, the Glenn surgery at 4-6 months, and the Fontan procedure at 2-3 years of age.
• Some patients with single ventricle heart disease may go on to require a heart transplant. We have a specialized heart transplant team dedicated to ensuring the highest level of care and support for you and your child. 

• Our patients do not need to be referred to other providers as they grow older. Once your child reaches adulthood, we have a specialized adult congenital team which will continue to provide expert care.
• Our adult team is nationally recognized and works closely with each patient to provide comprehensive care to adults living with complex congenital heart disease.