Pitfalls in Extracardiac Conduit Fontan Technique

Abstract

Optimizing Fontan blood flow dynamics is essential to attain the best early and late outcomes after the Fontan procedure. Although the extracardiac conduit is the most favored variant, recent studies have suggested it may not always carry the best outcomes. The apparent simplicity of the procedure may mask some of the technical nuances that need to be considered and addressed at the time of operation. We list the common technical pitfalls that may impact the outcomes and our recommendations for addressing them.