Two-stage biventricular rehabilitation for critical aortic stenosis with severe left ventricular dysfunction

Critical aortic valve stenosis (CAS) in the newborn is treated by balloon or surgical aortic valve intervention with nearly equal success, but the subset of patients with severe left ventricular (LV) dilation and dysfunction present a significant mortality risk. We describe a two-stage surgical management approach for those infants who represent an unusually high failure risk for either aortic valvotomy or conventional stage 1 single ventricle (Norwood) palliation because of severe LV dysfunction at the time of presentation.