As the health issues that single ventricle patients experience can involve multiple organ systems, the multidisciplinary Single Ventricle Clinic uses a team approach to provide collaborative evaluation and treatment. While many single ventricle patients lead full-active lives, they are at higher risk for a number of issues, including:

• Fatigue and difficulty exercising
• Concerns with growth and development
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Respiratory and sleep issues
• Liver and intestinal disorders
• Bone health and growth abnormalities
• Problems with blood and other organ systems
• Plastic bronchitis (PB) and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE)
• Social adjustment
• School performance
• Anxiety and depression
• Kidney disease

Our program brings together pediatric specialists in:

• Cardiology - who specialize in diagnosing and treating individuals with congenital heart disease, and specifically in this clinic, focused on individuals with Fontan physiology
• Gastroenterology & Hepatology – who specialize in diagnosis and management of patients with all types of liver disease
• Nephrology – who specialize in the treatment of disorders of the kidneys, urinary tract and high blood pressure
• Pulmonology – who specialize in diagnosis and treatment of breathing disorders and lung disease
• Genetics – who specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders and congenital abnormalities
• Psychology – who specialize in providing comprehensive treatment of developmental, behavioral, growth and illness related issues affecting children, adolescents and their families

It is recommended that all single ventricle patients receive a comprehensive evaluation every 3-5 years to consider the effects of Fontan circulation on the whole body.  For your convenience, consultations and any necessary exams will be coordinated to allow for patients to be seen by all appropriate specialists within 1-2 days.  If appropriate, patients may also be scheduled for evaluation in our neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic.

Some of the tests we offer include:

• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram
• Exercise stress test
• Cardiac MRI
• Liver ultrasound
• Kidney ultrasound
• Pulmonary Function testing

To make an appointment or learn more about our multidisciplinary Single Ventricle Clinic, call Suzanne Viers at 734-764-5176.

Your child’s testing and visit in the single ventricle clinic will take most of the day. Your child will need to be fasting for the liver ultrasound, so please bring snacks and a drink to have after the ultrasound is complete. Make sure to wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes for the exercise stress testing.

• Single Ventricle Congenital Heart Defects: A Guide for Patients, Parents and Families

As one of the nation’s leading children’s heart centers, our faculty are involved in groundbreaking research studies to advance understanding of the long-term health and quality-of-life for people with single ventricle circulation. There may be opportunities for you and your child to participate in research. Current research topics include:

• Increasing exercise tolerance  
• Advancing mental health care 
• Improving neurodevelopmental outcomes  
• Promoting health care equity 
• Managing and reducing complications, such as protein losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis and Fontan-associated liver disease 

These studies focus on long-term survival and quality of life in patients with single ventricle circulation. We are committed to increasing the heart community’s collective knowledge about single ventricle diseases and how they affect patients throughout every phase of life.