Nutritional management of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome in the first stage of surgical treatment

For patients with congenital heart defects, ensuring an efficient caloric intake is crucial, given their increased basal metabolism and the need for surgical interventions at a very young age. However, in cases of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, feeding per os is associated not only with benefits but also with significant risks concerning gastrointestinal morbidity. In this context, the objective of initiating, adjusting, and maintaining enteral nutrition within optimal parameters can prove to be highly challenging. Studies show that implementing a nutritional management protocol significantly reduces the risk of gastrointestinal dysfunction, aligning nutritional approaches with their positive impact on postoperative outcomes. This review compares the studies published to date, highlighting the benefits of adequate nutritional management and emphasizing the importance of adopting a perioperative feeding protocol in the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center in Târgu-Mureş city.