Q20.5: Discordant atrioventricular connection

The heart pumps blood through the body. Inside the heart are 4 chambers. There are 2 heart atria and 2 ventricles. Both heart atria and both ventricles are separated from each other by a partition. Major, important blood vessels branch out of the heart. The main artery (aorta), originating from the left lower chamber (ventricle) of the heart, supplies the whole body with oxygen-rich blood. The right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood through the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where the blood is then enriched with oxygen.

Your heart did not develop properly before you were born. This means that your right upper chamber (atrium) is connected to the left lower chamber (ventricle). The left atrium is connected to the right ventricle. These ventricles that have swapped places pump blood through the body and the lungs in the normal way. However, the right ventricle doesn’t normally need very much force to pump blood into the lungs. In your case, the right ventricle has to pump blood into the body with much more force than normal. This puts a lot of strain on your right ventricle.

This heart defect can lead to various symptoms. One may be short of breath, and feel weak or tired. This may affect normal growth. The symptoms may begin shortly after birth.