What is double inlet left ventricle?

Also known as: DILV, double ventricle, common ventricle, single ventricle.

Normally the right atrium is connected to the right ventricle which pumps oxygen-poor blood from the body tissues, out to the lungs to get oxygen. The left atrium collects the oxygenated blood from the lungs and is connected to the left ventricle which pumps the oxygen-rich blood out to the body. In double inlet left ventricle, (a congenital abnormality- occurs before birth), both atria connect to one ventricle (the left ventricle) and the right ventricle is small. This results in the oxygen poor blood mixing with the oxygen rich blood from the lungs before it's pumped out to the rest of the body.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM