AV – Atrioventricular Canal Surgery
An atrioventricular canal (AVC) defect is a problem in the part of the heart that connects the upper chambers (atria) to the lower chambers (ventricles). There are two types of atrioventricular canal defects: complete and partial.
Full defects in the atrioventricular canal require surgery, usually during the first two to three months of life. The surgeon must remove one or two patches at the wide opening. The patches are stitched onto the heart muscle, and the tissue grows over the patches as the child develops.
The surgeon will also separate the single large valve into two valves and will reconstruct the valves so they are as close to normal as possible, depending on the child’s heart anatomy
