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Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Nicklaus Children's Hospital
3100 S.W. 62nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33155
(305) 666-6511 or toll-free 1-800-432-6837
Physician referral: 1-888-MCH-DOCS
Email: info@nicklaushealth.org


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.