Single Ventricle Program

Children born with single ventricle heart conditions need highly specialized, lifelong care. Our multidisciplinary team guides families from diagnosis through long-term follow-up, with seamless transition to adult congenital care.
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1-888-573-5437

While a typical heart has two ventricles — the lower chambers that pump blood — babies born with single ventricle heart conditions have only one functioning ventricle, making it harder for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. 

At University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital, your child’s care is guided by close collaboration across cardiology, surgery, nutrition, and social work—from fetal diagnosis through long-term follow-up. Families choose us for our nationally recognized expertise paired with personalized, family-centered support. Our mission is simple: to give every child with a single ventricle heart the opportunity to grow, thrive, and live a full life. 

As your child grows, we help transition care to our adult congenital heart disease program, providing lifelong continuity and the same trusted, personalized attention you’ve come to expect. 

Comprehensive, lifelong heart care

Your child’s care can begin before birth and continue throughout every stage of life. If a single ventricle condition is diagnosed during pregnancy, our fetal cardiology and maternal–fetal medicine teams partner with you early to develop a coordinated delivery and treatment plan. After birth, our pediatric cardiac and neonatal specialists provide immediate care and prepare your baby for their first surgery. 

You’ll work with a single, connected team of experts that may include: 

  • Cardiologists 
  • Cardiac surgeons 
  • Nurse practitioners 
  • Nurse coordinators 
  • Dietitians 
  • Social workers 

This team follows your child across every stage of care — helping you understand what to expect, supporting informed decision-making, and coordinating smooth transitions between specialties. As your child grows, we continue to support their development, nutrition, and transition to adult care, offering continuity that extends well beyond the hospital. 

Team-based expertise and compassionate support

Caring for a child with a single ventricle heart condition takes more than advanced medicine — it takes teamwork, trust, and compassion. Your family is supported by a coordinated team of specialists who meet regularly to review progress, adjust care, and plan for what’s ahead. 

We care for your child’s heart and your family’s well-being. From learning how to monitor oxygen levels and feeding at home to receiving emotional and social support, we help you feel prepared and supported at every stage. Whether your child needs surgery, interstage monitoring, or long-term follow-up, we guide you through each milestone with care. Our dedicated interstage program bridges the time between surgeries with close monitoring, regular communication, and quick access to your child’s care team when it matters most. 

Our approach to single ventricle care

When a single ventricle condition is diagnosed before birth, our fetal cardiology and maternal-fetal medicine teams begin planning with you right away. After delivery, our pediatric cardiac and neonatal specialists provide immediate care and prepare for the first stage of surgery. 

Your child’s care plan will include several surgeries during early childhood, followed by regular monitoring and follow-up in our clinic. Between visits, you’ll have a direct connection to our care coordinators and nurse practitioners who know your family and can answer questions anytime. As your child grows, we’ll focus on supporting their development, nutrition, and transition to independent living and adult congenital heart care. 

Single ventricle tests and treatments

  • Fetal echocardiography  
  • Staged surgical repair 
  • Interstage monitoring 
  • Nutrition and growth management 
  • Cardiac neurodevelopmental care 
  • Cardiac MRI and CT 

Single ventricle conditions we treat

  • Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) 
  • Tricuspid atresia 
  • Double inlet ventricle 
  • Unbalanced atrioventricular canal defects 
  • Complex congenital heart disease 

Need care for your baby’s single ventricle heart condition?

When you call us, we’ll connect you with a provider that meets your needs.
Call 1-888-573-5437

Patient Stories

Keeping close watch on high-risk pediatric cardiology patients
September 18, 2019
Charlie was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition in which the side of the heart that pumps blood to the body is severely underdevelo...
Charlie Howard, photo