The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on hybrid procedure for interim management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome in neonates in December 2007. In accordance with the Interventional Procedures Programme Process Guide, guidance on procedures with special arrangements are reviewed 3 years after publication and the procedure is reassessed if important new evidence is available.

The guidance was considered for reassessment in January 2011 and it was concluded that NICE will not be updating this guidance at this stage. However, if you believe there is new evidence which should warrant a review of our guidance, please contact us via the email address below.

Description

Some babies are born with a poorly developed left side of their heart. The hybrid procedure is a combination of surgical and 'endovascular' techniques to help establish blood flow to and from the left side of the heart. It is performed soon after birth with the aim of delaying more major surgery until the baby is older and better able to withstand it.

The hybrid procedure involves both surgery, in which bands are placed around the branches of the pulmonary artery, and catheterisation techniques, in which stents (metal mesh tubes) are inserted to keep the ductus arteriosus open.

Coding and clinical classification codes for this guidance