Extracardiac conduit fontan procedure: early and intermediate results

The extracardiac Fontan procedure, as compared with classic atriopulmonary connections, may have the potential for optimizing ventricular and pulmonary vascular function by maximizing the laminar flow principle, by the avoidance of intra-atrial suture lines and cardiac manipulation, and by minimizing cardiopulmonary bypass time. In this study the clinical results of this procedure are assessed.

From January 1990 until January 1997, 45 patients (33 males and 12 females) with a median age of 4.0 years (range 2.7-38 years) underwent an extracardiac Fontan procedure for univentricular physiology. The underlying diagnoses included tricuspid atresia (n=19), double-inlet left ventricle (n=11), and complex anomalies (n=15). Forty patients (89%) were in sinus rhythm. The median ventricular ejection fraction was 60%. In 37 patients (82%) the procedure was staged.

Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 72 min, with a decrease to a median time of 24 min in the last ten patients. Aortic cross-clamping was avoided in 33 patients (73%). The intraoperative Fontan pressure and transpulmonary gradient were low: 13.6+/-3.2 and 8.5+/-3.9 mmHg, respectively. Transient supraventricular tachyarrhythmias were observed in six patients (13%). There was no early or late mortality. At a median follow-up of 64 months (range 26-105 months), 39 patients (87%) were in NYHA class I, four (9%) were in NYHA class II, and two (4%) were in class III. Forty patients (89%) remained in sinus rhythm. The median ventricular ejection fraction was 59%. The median arterial oxygen saturation raised from 82% preoperatively to 97%. Functional class (P=0.02), maintenance of sinus rhythm (P=0.04), and preservation of ventricular function (P=0.05) was superior in patients who were appropriately staged. None of the patients had atrial thrombus, chronic pleural effusions, or protein losing enteropathy.

In the majority of patients, the extracardiac Fontan procedure, when performed as a staged procedure, provides excellent early and midterm results in terms of quality of life, maintenance of sinus rhythm, and preservation of ventricular function.