Diminished Contractile Reserve in Ventricle from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is not Due to Reduced Response of Calcium Current

As pediatric cardiac surgery is increasingly performed in the first year of life, the need for understanding calcium regulation in this age group is becoming more important. Thus, we examined the effect of sympathetic stimulation on contractility and calcium current (ICa) in ventricular biopsies from hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS, age <1 week) and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF, age 3-12 months) patients.