The Norwood procedure is the first of three palliative surgeries for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and other complex heart defects with single ventricle physiology intended to create a new functional single ventricle system. The first successful Norwood procedure involving the use of a cardiopulmonary bypass was reported by Dr. William Imon Norwood, Jr. and colleagues in 1981.

Variations of the Norwood procedure, or Stage 1 palliation, have been proposed and adopted over the last 30 years; however, its basic components have remained unchanged. The purpose of the procedure is to utilize the right ventricle as the main chamber pumping blood to the body and lungs. A connection between left and right atria (collecting chambers of the heart) is established via atrial septectomy, allowing blood arriving from the lungs to travel to the right ventricle. Next a connection between the right ventricle and aorta is created using a tissue graft from the main pulmonary artery. Lastly, an aortopulmonary shunt is created to provide blood flow to the lungs from the systemic circulation. The most common shunts are the Modified Blalock Taussig shunt (MBTS) or right ventricle- to pulmonary artery shunt (RVPA or Sano shunt).

Most patients who undergo a Norwood procedure will proceed to further stages of single ventricle palliation. A second surgery, also known as the Glenn procedure, occurs at 4–6 months of age. The third surgery is the Fontan procedure, occurring when patients are 3–5 years of age.

Norwood procedure is most commonly performed to treat hypoplastic left heart syndrome, double outlet right ventricle, double inlet left ventricle, and other single ventricle congenital heart defects. Variations are also used for palliation of mitral and tricuspid atresia and subsets of transposition of great arteries (TGA).

Without surgical repair, infants born with a single ventricle cardiac defect face almost certain mortality in the first year of life. In these conditions, the most urgent problem is that the heart is unable to pump blood to the systemic circulation (i.e. to the body). The goal of these three surgeries is to ultimately connect the single ventricle to the systemic circulation. To accomplish this, blood flow to the lungs is disrupted, and therefore an alternative path must be created to provide blood flow to the lungs.

There are numerous factors that increase the risk of the Norwood procedure and are relative contraindications. Those factors include Low birth weight, extremely premature delivery, poor ventricular function, Intraventricular hemorrhage, severe non-cardiac congenital defects, and genetic syndromes with poor prognosis.

While the Norwood procedure is the standard of care for single ventricle cardiac defects, there are other treatment options for patients depending on their unique anatomy. One option is the Hybrid procedure which is done via cardiac catheterization and surgery. A stent is placed in the ductus arteriosus to keep it patent and bands are placed over both the left and right pulmonary arteries to limit pressure and over-circulation to the lungs. Another option is cardiac transplantation, although this is uncommon due to the limited availability of neonatal donor hearts. Families can also elect to pursue comfort care for their newborns, especially if there are concomitant anatomic defects or genetic syndromes with poor prognosis.

Entry to the body cavity for the Norwood procedure is gained by a vertical incision above the sternum. Separation of the sternum is necessary. This surgery is complex and may vary slightly depending on the diagnosis and overall condition of the heart. The surgery on the heart can be divided into two main steps.