A parent who has a child with a single ventricle is really very distraught. The question of how long the child will live and whether it is worth it is a question that many parents have before surgery. Basically, there is no anatomical cure for univentricular ventricle, but a so-called “physiological” correction by channeling blood from the vena cava to the lungs. If the pulmonary vasculature of a child with univentricular ventricle is well developed, those who are 6 months of age or older are recommended to undergo a one-stage Greene procedure. Later, between the ages of 3 and 5 years, when the child is able to run and jump, a stage II procedure is recommended. There is no rush to perform a stage I surgery on a child as a newborn because the pressure in the pulmonary artery decreases after 6 months of age or older. Of course, if the child has unbearable cyanosis, then the cyanosis can be relieved by body-lung bypass surgery first before transitioning to Greene surgery later. When the child grows up to 3-5 years old, his inferior vena cava grows thicker and is basically the same thickness as that of adults, so a thicker tube can be replaced; in addition, after total cavity surgery, the blood in the lower body is largely dependent on the squeezing effect of muscles to guide the flow into the pulmonary artery, so a child who can run and jump can help the return of inferior vena cava blood. Zhang Hao, Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Fu Wai Hospital, Beijing A good prognosis for univentricular surgery is still very good, including low physical activity, and some female patients have successfully given birth to children under strict guidance. One of my former children is now in high school, and the boy can even play basketball with his buddies. But, after all, it is a single ventricle procedure, it is not a physiological cycle, and there are a number of near and long-term complications that can plague these children. One of the most common complications is pleural effusion, which is formed when the child’s pulmonary vascular bed is unable to accommodate all the venous blood for various reasons, such as high pulmonary artery pressure or poor development of the pulmonary vessels themselves. As a result, blood leaks out of the vena cava into the thoracic cavity, and some children even develop a fluid collection in the abdominal cavity. These children require early chest drainage and even occasional hospital visits to have their chest drained. Other complications include protein loss and pulmonary arteriovenous fistula. The most serious is the so-called “atrial” circulatory failure, in which venous blood cannot reach the pulmonary circulation on its own pressure, so the patient cannot survive and requires a heart transplant as the ultimate treatment option. The single ventricle type of surgery is far from a perfect procedure and has many drawbacks, but it can be effective in relieving the child’s cyanosis and reducing the burden on the heart. On the other hand, it is also hoped that medical advances will give those children more options.