Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a congenital heart disease in which the aorta rises from the right ventricle (the chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the lungs), instead of from the left ventricle (the normal pumping chamber to the body).
Both the pulmonary artery (which carries oxygen-poor blood to the lungs) and aorta (which carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body) come from the same pumping chamber. No arteries arise from the left ventricle (the normal pumping chamber to the body).
Normally, the aorta arises from the left ventricle (the chamber of the heart that usually pumps blood to the body). The pulmonary artery normally arises from the right ventricle.
In DORV, both arteries arise from the right ventricle. This is a problem because the right ventricle carries oxygen-poor blood, which the aorta then carries throughout the body. DORV always includes a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Pulmonary valve stenosis or transposition of the great arteries may also be part of the defect.
The presence of a VSD helps the infant with DORV, because oxygen-rich blood from the lungs flows from the left side of the heart, through the VSD opening and into the right chamber, mixing with the oxygen-poor blood. However, the body may still not get enough oxygen even with this mixture, and the heart has to work harder to try to bring more oxygen-rich blood to the body.
There are several types of DORV. The difference between these types is the location of the VSD compared to the location of the pulmonary artery and aorta. The type of DORV, and the presence or absence of pulmonary valve stenosis, affect the severity of signs and symptoms the baby may have.
Patients with DORV often have other heart abnormalities such as:
Symptoms of DORV may include:
Signs of DORV may include:
Tests to diagnose DORV include:
Treatment requires surgery to close the hole in the heart and properly direct blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. Surgery may also be needed to move the pulmonary artery or aorta.
Several factors determine the type and number of operations the baby needs. They include:
See also:
How well the baby does depends on several factors:
Complications from DORV may include:
All children with this congenital heart disease should take antibiotics before dental treatment. This prevents infections around the heart. Antibiotics may also be needed after surgery.
DORV; Taussig-Bing anomaly; DORV with doubly-committed VSD; DORV with noncommitted VSD; DORV with subaortic VSD
Baldwin HS, Dees Ellen. Embryology and physiology of the cardiovascular system. In: Gleason CA, Devaskar S, eds. Avery's Diseases of the Newborn. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 50.
Updated by: Kurt R. Schumacher, MD, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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