Norwood procedure

The Norwood procedure is a three-stage heart surgery to create a new functional systemic circuit in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Stage 1 of the Norwood procedure involves atrial septectomy and transection and ligation of the distal main pulmonary artery. The proximal pulmonary artery is then connected to the hypoplastic aortic arch, while the coarcted segment of the aorta is repaired. An aortopulmonary shunt is created to connect the aorta to the main pulmonary artery to provide pulmonary blood flow. Stage 2 of the Norwood procedure is separation of the systemic and pulmonary circulation once pulmonary vascular resistance has fallen, by removing the aortopulmonary shunt followed by creation of a bidirectional SVC-pulmonary shunt, also known as a Glenn procedure. Stage 3 of the Norwood procedure is creation of a modified Fontan procedure. The first successful use of the procedure was reported by Dr. William Imon Norwood, Jr. (1941 – ) and colleagues in 1981.