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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Absent pulmonary valve, tricuspid atresia, and congenital heart block
Ignacio Juaneda1, Jack Rychik2, Stephanie Fuller3
1Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA ignaciojuaneda@hotmail.com.
Abstract:
We describe management of a patient with a prenatal diagnosis of absent pulmonary valve, tricuspid atresia, ventricular septal defect, and congenital heart block. Initial treatment consisted of temporary pacemaker implantation, and subsequent palliation included a central shunt during the neonatal period and placement of a permanent pacemaker. At seven months of age, a bidirectional Glenn anastomosis was performed. Cardiac catheterization revealed high cavopulmonary pressures and ventricular dysfunction precluding Fontan completion. Heart transplantation was performed at 3.75 years of age. The patient is alive and well 26 months posttransplantation.
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Heart Valves
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...

