Tetralogy of FallotNancy McDaniel M.D.The heart in this defect has four chambers and four valves. There is a large hole between the lower chambers of the heart. The hole is called a ventricular septal defect. This hole lets the blue and red blood mix. Also, the aorta is large and is over the top of the hole. The lung artery, the valve, and the area just underneath the lung artery valve are small and narrowed. This makes it hard for the blood to go to the lungs and the infant may be less pink than normal (cyanotic). If the newborn is very blue, it may require a medicine to get more blood flow to the lungs, and surgery must be done to increase the blood flow (shunt procedure). When the child is about one year or so, surgery can be done to close the large hole and open up the blockage to the lung artery.
 Normal Heart  |