[Skip to Content]
Children's Health System - Alabama (iFrame)

Children's of Alabama
Healthcare as amazing as their potential
www.childrensal.org
1600 7th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233
(205) 638 - 9100


Dictionary: Single Ventricle Defect

Single ventricle defect: a heart usually has two working ventricles (pumping chambers). Having a single ventricle (VEN-trih-kul) means that only one of the two ventricles works well enough to pump blood.

Two diagrams show the position of the heart in the body and a close-up, cross section of a healthy heart. Blood flows from the left atrium into the left ventricle and through a valve into the aorta.