Aortopulmonary window

An aortopulmonary window is a rare heart defect in which there is a hole between the major blood vessel feeding the heart (the aorta) and the one going to the lungs (pulmonary artery). The condition is congenital, which means it is present at birth.

• accounts for only .1 percent of all congenital heart defects
• if left untreated, can lead to pulmonary hypertension and heart failure
• treatment involves surgery to patch the hole