The dispensable right ventricle.
The historical development of the concept that an anatomic ventricle is not needed for the pulmonary circulation is reviewed. The application of this idea to surgical treatment of congenital heart disease has culminated in atriopulmonary bypass for tricuspid atresia, an operation that relieves cyanosis and creates a functionally normal circulation, but which may have late risk due to arrhythmias or valve failure.
D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008722:Methods; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000601:surgery; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000002:abnormalities; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000151:congenital; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior