Completion of the Three-Stage Fontan Pathway Without Cardiopulmonary Bypass

The three-stage surgical approach is now accepted as the standard for management of children born with functional single ventricle. However, there is little consensus on the cardiopulmonary bypass strategies employed for these procedures. We have attempted to avoid cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with single ventricle whenever possible to eliminate the adverse effects that are induced by this process. The purpose of this study was to review our experience in patients who underwent all three stages of the Fontan pathway without ever being exposed to bypass.

A total of 52 patients with single ventricle underwent "off-pump" treatment at all three stages of their surgical management. The time period of the study was from 2002 to 2013. There were 31 males and 21 females. Anatomic diagnoses included double inlet left ventricle (n = 11), pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (n = 11), tricuspid atresia (n = 10), double outlet right ventricle (n = 9), and other (n = 11).

There was no operative mortality in the 52 patients undergoing Fontan completion. The patients have been followed for an average of 5.1 ± 2.5 years, with one late mortality. The median length of hospital stay for the three stages was 17, 5, and 9 days, respectively. Of the 52 patients, 42 were able to undergo all three stages without the need for a blood transfusion.

This series demonstrates the feasibility of achieving a Fontan circulation without patients exposed to cardiopulmonary bypass. There was no operative mortality and low mid-term mortality. It is notable that 80% of patients never required a blood transfusion with this approach. The elimination of cardiopulmonary bypass provides several potential clinical benefits in this highly select subset of patients with single ventricle.