MyNemours Sign-InDouble outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a serious congenital (present at birth) heart defect that causes the aorta — the main artery that carries blood from the heart — to attach to the right ventricle, instead of the left one. Since DORV happens while a baby is growing in the womb, it’s sometimes found during prenatal tests. Babies born with DORV have their first surgery when they are weeks or even days old.
Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)
Early Diagnosis and Expert Care for DORV
The pediatric heart care experts at Nemours Cardiac Center have decades of experience caring for children with DORV. Our board-certified, fellowship-trained pediatric cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons (specialists in surgical procedures of the chest, including the heart and lungs) are here to answer your questions, address your concerns and offer treatment options, including heart transplants. Our Cardiac Center teams offer the latest in research-backed care, delivered with compassion.
Services We Offer for Double Outlet Right Ventricle
The expert teams in our Nemours Cardiac Center locations offer a full range of pediatric heart care to diagnose and treat your child’s DORV. Services vary by specialist and location, but may include:
- Fetal Diagnostics. Early detection in our perinatology and fetal medicine centers help us diagnose congenital heart defects and make a treatment plan for when your baby’s born.
- Cardiac Diagnostic Testing. State-of-the-art, noninvasive and minimally invasive tests for kids of all ages, including babies still in the womb.
- Cardiology. Your child’s cardiologist will help with medications and monitoring, as well as long-term treatment plans for your child’s DORV.
- Cardiac Catheterization. A procedure used to diagnose or treat cardiac problems by inserting a thin plastic, flexible tube (called a “catheter”) into an artery or vein, and threading it through the bloodstream into the heart and its large blood vessels.
- Genetics Counseling. Although there’s no known cause, babies with certain genetic conditions may be more likely to have DORV or other heart defects.
- Heart Transplants (available in the Delaware Valley only). In rare cases, this may be the best treatment option.
- Heart Surgery. Surgical repair is needed for DORV. There are different types of surgeries, and which ones are needed will depend on your child’s condition and age. Some heart surgery is done as soon as your baby is born, and some procedures will be done in a series as your child develops.
Why Choose Us for Double Outlet Right Ventricle Repair & Care
World-class pediatric heart care requires the compassion to understand your family's journey, and the expertise to heal even the most complex conditions. Nemours Cardiac Center has the experience to provide early detection and repair of DORV. Our cardiac surgeons treat a vast array of heart defects in infants, children and teens using the most advanced approaches, including heart transplants. Our Cardiac Center care teams work together to guide your family each step of the way, including support services.
Regional Double Outlet Right Ventricle Highlights
Services, programs, facilities and care teams differ at each location. Call for details.
We offer care for newborns and children with DORV at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children for Children (Wilmington, Del.) and select Nemours duPont Pediatrics locations.
The Nemours Cardiac Center located at duPont Hospital for Children is ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News and World Report.
Our Palliative and Supportive Care Program located at duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware provides compassionate care for families and children coping with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.
We offer care for newborns and children with DORV at Nemours Children’s Hospital (Orlando) and select Nemours Children’s Specialty Care locations.
Our renowned pediatric cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery team at the Nemours Cardiac Center in Central Florida offers inpatient, critical and surgical care at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando — including dedicated cardiac anesthesiologists and state-of-the-art cardiac intensive care unit (CICU).
Since early detection means faster treatment, our Nemours Center for Fetal Care is available at multiple locations throughout Central Florida.
We offer care for newborns and children with DORV at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Pensacola and our hospital affiliate, West Florida Healthcare, with outpatient and follow-up appointments also available at select Nemours Children’s Specialty Care locations.
Our Nemours Cardiac Center in Pensacola is home to one of the few accredited pediatric transthoracic and fetal echocardiography labs in Florida and, if needed, can facilitate the transfer of extremely ill children between our Nemours Cardiac Center locations (e.g., to Nemours Children’s Hospital).
Research & Clinical Trials
At Nemours, we’re actively researching new approaches for childhood disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
KidsHealth Library
Learn more about your child’s medical condition from the experts at Nemours’ KidsHealth.