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Wireless Telemetry Device Implantation in a Fontan Ovine Model for Continuous and Long-Term Hemodynamic Monitoring
Published on: May 2, 2025
The adult with a Fontan operation
Jamil Aboulhosn1, John S Child
1Division of Cardiology, Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Room BH-307 CHS, 650 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 91690-1679, USA.
Current Cardiology Reports
|July 3, 2007
Summary
The Fontan operation repairs single-ventricle physiology, evolving since 1971. Modifications aim to improve outcomes by excluding the atrium, with minimally invasive techniques showing future promise.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease Surgery
- Cardiovascular Physiology
Background:
- The Fontan operation, established in 1971, is a palliative surgical procedure for single-ventricle physiology.
- It redirects deoxygenated blood to the lungs, reducing cyanosis by minimizing right-to-left shunting.
- Early Fontan procedures involved a direct atriopulmonary connection, leading to complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution of the Fontan operation and its modifications.
- To discuss the impact of including the right atrium in the Fontan circuit.
- To explore the role of minimally invasive and transcatheter interventions in future Fontan management.
Main Methods:
- Historical review of Fontan operation techniques and outcomes.
- Analysis of physiological consequences of right atrial inclusion in the Fontan circuit.
- Discussion of emerging transcatheter and hybrid approaches.
Main Results:
- The Fontan operation has undergone significant modifications since its inception, improving survival and reducing morbidity.
- Inclusion of the right atrium in the Fontan circuit can lead to atrial dilation and arrhythmias.
- Transcatheter completion of the Fontan operation has been performed in select cases.
Conclusions:
- Evolutionary improvements in the Fontan operation have enhanced patient outcomes.
- Modifications excluding the right atrium address key complications like arrhythmias.
- Minimally invasive, transcatheter, and hybrid interventions represent the future direction for managing Fontan patients.
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