Ebstein's Anomaly

Dr. Starnes is noted for his care of children with Ebstein's Anomaly, and developed the Starnes operation for treatment of this anomaly (described below).

In a normal heart, the tricuspid valve controls blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle. When a person has Ebstein’s anomaly, the leaflets of the tricuspid valve are not formed correctly, and the valve is located lower than normal.

The leaflets do not control the blood flow properly, resulting in a right ventricle that is too small, and a right atrium that is too large. There are varying degrees of severity of Ebstein’s anomaly, and there is usually an atrial septal defect.