Anomalous coronary artery occurs when one of the coronary arteries, which provide blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, branches off from the heart, usually from the aorta, in an unusual place. Sometimes anomalous coronary arteries are at risk for becoming blocked because of their placement, causing sudden cardiac arrest.
Aortic arch hypoplasia occurs when the large blood vessel that takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the body (the aorta) is smaller than usual along the length of the vessel where it curves over the heart and toward the body. This narrowing makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the body and can result in a weak heart muscle or poor blood flow.
Aortic valve stenosis occurs when the large blood vessel that takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the body (the aorta) is narrow at the place where the aorta leaves the heart. This makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the body and can result in a weak heart muscle or poor blood flow.
The atria are two top chambers of the heart. One holds blood that has oxygen, and one holds blood that needs oxygen. In atrial septal defect, there is an abnormal gap between these two chambers. As a result, the mixed blood that goes out to the body does not carry the right amount of oxygen.
Atrioventricular septal defect occurs when blood can slide freely between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, as well as the right and left sides of the heart.
Cardiomyopathy occurs when the muscles that surround the heart chambers and pump blood to the body with each contraction become weak and unable to function.
Coarctation of the aorta occurs when the large blood vessel that takes oxygenated blood from the heart to the body (the aorta) has a narrow spot where it curves away from the heart toward the body. This narrowing makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the body and can result in a weak heart muscle or poor blood flow.
Ebstein anomaly occurs when there is a leak in the valve between the top and bottom of the right side of the heart. As a result, the heart pumps harder to push the blood where it needs to go and can eventually wear out and become weak.
In hypoplastic left heart syndrome, any or all the heart structures that are needed to pump oxygen-rich blood out to the body are underdeveloped or too small to be effective.
Patent ductus arteriosus occurs when there is an opening directly between the blood vessel that takes blood to the lungs (pulmonary artery) and the blood vessel that takes blood to the body (the aorta). This results in mixing of oxygen-rich blood with oxygen-poor blood and a lower concentration of oxygen delivered to the body.
A single ventricle defect occurs when only one of the two large chambers at the base of the heart has developed enough to pump blood effectively.
Babies born with tetralogy of Fallot have four specific changes to normal heart anatomy, all of which work together to prevent oxygen-rich blood from flowing out to the body. The four changes are: ventricular septal defect, pulmonary stenosis, an overly muscular right ventricle and an aorta (the blood vessel that takes oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body) that connects to the heart at the location of the ventricular septal defect.
In transposition of the great arteries, instead of flowing from the lungs to the body, blood gets caught in limited loops. Oxygen-rich blood from the lungs goes back to the lungs and oxygen-poor blood from the body returns to the body. These babies survive due to other heart defects, such as atrial septal defect or ventricular septal defect, that allow blood from each separate loop to mix, but they will need surgical repair early in life.
The ventricles are two bottom chambers of the heart. One holds blood that has oxygen, and one holds blood that needs oxygen. In ventricular septal defect, there is an abnormal gap between these two chambers. As a result, the mixed blood that goes out to the body does not carry the right amount of oxygen.
