Heart & Blood Vessels

• Sickle Cell Disease (Topic Center)

  If your child or teens has sickle cell disease, you can get the facts here.

• Single Ventricle Defects

  Usually, a heart has two working ventricles (pumping chambers). Having a single ventricle means that only one of the two ventricles works well enough to pump blood.

• Splenic Sequestration

  Splenic sequestration is when too many blood cells get stuck in the spleen. This medical emergency can happen to people, usually kids, who have sickle cell disease.

• Stem Cell Transplants

  Stem cells help rebuild a weakened immune system. Stem cell transplants are effective treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer.

• Strokes

  A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain stops, even for a second. Often, kids who have a stroke can learn to use their arms and legs and speak again through brain retraining.

• Sturge-Weber Syndrome

  Sturge-Weber syndrome is a problem with the way blood vessels grow in the skin, eyes, and brain. When a baby is born with a port-wine birthmark on the face, doctors will look for other signs of Sturge-Weber.

• Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)

  Supraventricular tachycardia is a type of abnormal heart rhythm in which the heart beats very quickly.

• Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)

  Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a combination of problems caused by a birth defect that changes the way blood flows through the heart.

• The Fontan Procedure

  The Fontan procedure is open-heart surgery. Often, it’s done as the third of three surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).

• The Glenn Procedure

  The Glenn procedure is an open-heart surgery. Often, it’s done as the second of three surgeries to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).