04.07.

2015

NormalHeartvs.MyHeart

NormalHeartvs.MyHeart
TheNormalHumanHeartandhowitworks:

BOOK

Providedby:
www.edoctoronline.com/medical
atlas

1. Theheartfirsttakesinunoxygenatedbloodinfromtherightatriumthroughthe
superiorvenacavaandtheinferiorvenacava.
2. Whentherightatriumcontractsitpushestheunoxygenatedbloodthroughthetricuspid
valveandintotherightventricle.
3. Whentherightventriclecontractsthestillunoxygenatedbloodisthenpushedthrough
anothervalvecalledthepulmonaryvalvethatleadsintothepulmonaryarterythat
connectstothelungs,wherethebloodfinallyreceivesvitaloxygen.
4. Theoxygenatedbloodcomesbacktotheheartthroughthepulmonaryveinandinto
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theleftatrium.
5. Whentheleftatriumcontractstheoxygenatedbloodispushedthroughthemitralvalve
andpushedintotheleftventricle.
6. Afterafinalcontractionfromtheleftventricle,theoxygenatedbloodispushedthrough
aorticvalveandintotheaortawheretheoxygenatedbloodiscarriedtoallpartsofthe
body.
MyHeartandhowitworks:
Firstoff,inordertounderstandhowmyheartworkswemustfirstunderstandwhatiswrong
withit.Evenformethiswasachallengetounderstandit,andIhavelivedwithitallmylife.
Therefore,ImgoingtotrytomakethisaseasyasIcan.Ihavedecidedtobreakthings
downandgoovereachproblemonebyoneandthentellyouhowitallfitstogether.
TranspositionoftheGreatVessels:

Letusstartwiththetwomainarteriesrunningintothehearttheaortaandthepulmonary
artery.Inthepictureontherightyouseeapictureofanormalheartandonethatonehasthe
transposedvessels.Asyoucanseebyinthepictureofthetransposedpicturetwoarteries
areswitchedsothatthepulmonaryarteryisactuallyconnectedtotheleftventricleandthe
aortaisconnectedtotherightventricle.
SingleVentricle

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Nowontothenextproblem,asyounoticedontheimageofthenormalhearttherearefour
chambers.Thetwotoponesarecalltherightandleftatriumandthetwobottomchambers
arecalltherightandleftventricle.Inthepicturetotheleft,youwillnoticethatthewallthat
separatesthebottomtwochambersismissing..
Likemostthingswherethereisoneproblem,thereisusuallyanotherproblemandthatwas
trueinmycaseaswell.Mytricuspidvalvewhichisthevalvethatjoinstherightatriumand
therightventricledidntformcorrectlyandthisinterncausedmetohaveanunderdeveloped
rightventriclealsoknowasahypoplasticrightventricle.Therefore,myleftventricleisthe
onlyventriclethatisusedtopumpbloodouttomybody.Unfortunatelythatisalotofwork
forjustoneventricleandovertimeithasweakenandthatiswhyIamonahearttransplant
listnow.
AnotherproblemisthatIhadaholebetweentherightandleftatriumknownasaseptal
defect.Whilethisisnotuncommonfornewbornbabies(whichmostofthetimeclosesover
timeonitsown)itwasjustonemorethingtodealwith.
UnderalltheseproblemslaythehandofGd,ashardasitmaybeforsometosee.IfIdidnt
havetheseptaldefectthedoctorstoldmymomthatIwouldhavedied,becausethisopening
allowedmetoreceivemoreoxygenatedblood,allowingmetolive.Sohowdoesmyheart
workinallthismess?
1. Theunoxygenatedbloodcomesintotherightatriumfromboththesuperiorvenacava
andinferiorvenacava.Youwillalsonoticetheseptaldefectbetweentherightatrium
andtheleftatriumheresomeoftheunoxygenatedblood

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ismixedwithoxygenatedblood.
2. Theunoxygenatedbloodisthanpushedintothesingleventricleandmixeswiththe
oxygenatedbloodthatcomesfromtheleftatrium.
3. Theonlyrealworkingventriclemyleftventriclesqueezesthebloodthroughmyaorta,
whichmeansthatsemioxygenatedbodyisthanpushedouttothebody.Theother
semioxygenatedbloodisthenpushintothepulmonaryarteryandtakentothelungsto
receiveoxygen.
4. Thefreshlyoxygenatedbloodreturnsfromthelungs,heresomeoftheoxygenated
bloodismixedwiththeunoxygenatedcomingoverfromtherightventricle.
5. Theleftatriumpushestheoxygenatedbloodwhereonceagainthebloodmixeswith
theunoxygenatedblood.Soasyoucanseemybloodneverreallygotfully
oxygenated.Inordertocorrect,thisproblemIwouldhavetogothroughanewsurgery
thatwasjustinventednottolongbeforemybirth,andsincethingswerealotdifferent
fromtodaywherekidsgetsurgerieswithinamatterofdaysIwouldhavetowaita
while.

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