Ventricle Rehabilitation Procedure

Also known as: staged ventricular recruitment

What is a ventricle rehabilitation procedure?

If a child is born with some forms of single ventricle heart defects (SVD), which cause the lower chambers of the heart to not work correctly, then a biventricular repair is a potential surgical treatment for them in some cases. Many children have ventricles that are too small for biventricular repair, so a series of procedures are performed first to rehabilitate the ventricles and help them grow to the point where the biventricular repair can be performed. These ventricle rehabilitation procedures are also known as staged ventricular recruitment.

What happens during the procedure?

The exact nature of the procedures will vary based on the defect that is present. In some cases, it involves several procedures over a number of months or years to fully repair the child’s ventricles. The goal is to help the ventricles grow so that a biventricular repair of the heart can ultimately be performed. The procedures are all surgeries that are performed under general anesthesia and require a multi-day stay in the hospital.

Is any special preparation needed?

Your child will likely need to undergo several diagnostic tests to determine if they are a candidate for ventricle rehabilitation procedures and, if so, which procedure or procedures are appropriate for them. Your doctors may have other guidance depending on the specific nature of the procedure or procedures. For example, you may need to avoid food and medication for a period of time before the procedure.

What are the risk factors?

Ventricle rehabilitation procedures and biventricular repair procedures do have risks and may involve multiple surgeries, so it’s important to discuss these risks and potential outcomes with your doctors. Despite the risks, in many cases it’s the best treatment option available for the infant with a congenital heart defect, and many children who have undergone the procedures go on to lead healthy, productive lives.

Reviewed by: David Kalfa, MD

This page was last updated on: June 26, 2026 03:17 PM