Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

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Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare and complex form of congenital heart disease in which the left side of a child's heart is severely underdeveloped. Today, treatment normally involves a three-stage surgery to reroute blood flow in the heart.

Though effective, these surgeries do not eliminate the chance that an HLHS patient may need a heart transplant in the future.

In the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for HLHS, a diverse group of Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers led by Timothy J. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., are working to launch clinical trials that bring the latest advances in cell therapy to people with HLHS.

Within the program, teams are:

• Studying how regenerative therapies can strengthen the hearts of HLHS patients and delay — or even prevent — the need for heart transplants in people with HLHS
• Developing better ways to assess right ventricular function in HLHS and predict outcomes
• Determining the genetic basis for HLHS
• Building a comprehensive annotated HLHS biorepository

Visit the HLHS News and Views blog for the latest research developments, patient stories and other information from Mayo Clinic researchers, physicians and staff.

More information about the program is on the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome website.