What is double inlet left ventricle?

What is double inlet left ventricle?

Double inlet left ventricle is a congenital heart defect, meaning that it is present at birth. In this condition, the upper collecting chambers in the heart — the left and right atria (plural for atrium) — are connected to the same lower pumping chamber or ventricle. In some cases, one of the ventricles of the heart may be extremely small.

The human heart has four chambers: the left atrium and right atrium (plural: atria) at the top, and the left and right ventricles on the bottom. Blood circulates through the atria and the ventricles to and from the rest of the body via arteries (which carry blood away from the heart) and veins (which carry blood to the heart).

In a normal heart, blood that needs oxygen is received in the right atrium from large veins called vena cava, then enters the right ventricle which pumps the blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery to pick up oxygen. Blood that has picked up oxygen from the lungs returns to the heart at the left atrium where it is collected and passed into the left ventricle that then pumps this oxygenated blood through the a large artery called the aorta to the rest of the body.

Babies with double inlet left ventricle usually have a normal left ventricle (the pumping chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the body) and a small right ventricle (the pumping chamber that pumps blood to the lungs). Both atria supply blood to the left ventricle. As a result, oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood are combined. This mixture of blood flows to the baby’s lungs and body. Double inlet left ventricle is also called common ventricle or single ventricle.