Cardiac catheterization in adult fontan patients

Abstract

Since the original introduction of the Fontan repair, multiple surgical modifications have evolved that have led to remarkable improvement in the long-term survival of patients with single ventricle circulation. While the majority of patients who undergo Fontan palliation are now expected to live to adulthood, their long-term outcomes are often complicated by anatomical and physiological challenges that require surgical and transcatheter interventions throughout their lifetime. Recent advances in the interventional cardiac catheterization arena have allowed these hemodynamic and anatomical alternations to be addressed with minimally invasive techniques. We herein present a clinically oriented case-based approach to the common pathophysiological challenges encountered in adult Fontan patients with an overview of the cardiac catheterization techniques in these patients.