Single Ventricle Program

The “interstage” period between the first and second surgeries is a fragile time for infants with single ventricle heart disease. Our interstage monitoring program and single ventricle clinic helps to support parents and monitor infants during this critical stage. Before being discharged from the hospital, all families are provided with a pulse oximeter and a scale to assist with daily monitoring of their baby.

We have also developed a smart phone/tablet application that works with our electronic medical record. Our patients are enrolled in the app while in the hospital after their Norwood procedure or shunt. This app provides information directly to our single ventricle team. In addition to regular visits with a primary cardiologist, infants are seen monthly in our multi-disciplinary single ventricle interstage clinic. Our patients are evaluated by physicians and nutritionists with additional support by our nursing staff and social worker.

Most children with single ventricle heart defects require a series of three or more palliative surgeries in the first several years of life.

• Stage 1 – The first surgery, the Norwood procedure with Sano shunt or modified BT shunt, or shunt-alone surgery is performed in the first several days/weeks of life.
• Stage 2 – The second surgery, the bidirectional Glenn procedure, is usually performed between 4 and 8 months of age.
• Stage 3 – The third surgery, the Fontan procedure, is usually performed between 2 and 6 years of age.

Our multidisciplinary team of pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and cardiac intensivists use national data guided protocols to guide pre and post-operative care for our most critical patients. Our team consists of:

• Jessica Mouledoux, MD
• Diego Lara, MD
• Megan Lanier, PA
• Mia Lowe, PA-C
• Lauren Brinks, RD
• Gabbie Ortiz, LMSW
• Anne Orillion, RN
• Tracie Roddy, RN