So Rowan’s heart works very differently now that he is “Post Glenn”. I’m going to attempt to explain how this works. At the top of the picture, you can see where blue blood (unoxygenated blood) is returning from the upper body. It goes straight to the lungs to be oxygenated. Then it travels from the lungs (the red blood you see) into the heart. Blue blood (unoxygenated blood from the lower body) comes into the heart as well. Here the blue blood from the lower body mixes with the red blood that has been oxygenated from the upper body to make “purple” blood. That purple blood is then pumped out of the heart to the rest of the body.
The final stage of a repair like this is called the Fontan. In that surgery, the blue blood from the lower body will also go directly to the lungs. The heart will only have oxygenated red blood in it and it will pump that to the rest of the body. It could be a few years before the Fontan comes up for Rowan. In the meantime, he will look a little dusky/blue still because his body is circulating purple blood.
Does Rowan have HLHS? I just found your blog and haven't read all the way back yet, just the last few entries
ReplyDeleteRowan has HRHS, but the surgeries to repair are the same for him as for HLHS kiddos. He had transposed greater vessels (Aorta and Pulmonary Artery were switched) so he needs the same 3 repairs. The Norwood, the Glenn, then the Fontan. Rowan had the Norwood in December and the Glenn in June.
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