Definitions for "Norwood procedure"
Norwood procedure: a series of three separate surgeries done to correct hypoplastic left heart syndrome, in which surgeons turn the right ventricle into a left ventricle.
A multistage operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. A systemic to pulmonary arterial shunt is created, followed by a staged Fontan-type operation (usually via a hemi-Fontan procedure) resulting in single ventricle physiology. The morphologic right ventricle supports the systemic circulation.
A complex surgical procedure used for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (and similar variants) where reconstruction of the absent or small aorta is accomplished by using the patient's own pulmonary artery. This allows unobstructed blood flow to be delivered to the body. As part of the Norwood procedure, the wall between the upper chambers of the heart is removed (atrial septectomy), and a small Gore-Tex tube (shunt) is inserted from the aorta to the pulmonary arteries.