Pulmonary AtresiaNancy McDaniel M.D.The heart in this defect has four chambers and four valves. The main problem with this heart defect is that the valve leading to the lungs (pulmonary valve) did not form and has no opening (atresia). Because the blood flow to the lungs was blocked when the baby was in the mother's womb, the right collecting chamber and the valve leading to the right collecting chamber are too small. Because of the blockage on the right side, the blue blood is forced to cross from the right collecting chamber through a slit-like hole to the left collecting chamber and left pumping chamber. The mixing of the red and blue blood causes the baby to be less pink than normal (cyanotic) and to be very ill after birth. A medicine can be given to get more blood flow into the lungs for a short period of time. Usually a surgical procedure is done to place a tube into the lung artery to provide more blood flow to the lungs. This operation is called a shunt procedure. If the lung arteries, right ventricle and right valve grow, the child may be able to have a corrective surgery at an older age.
 Normal Heart  |