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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Wireless Telemetry Device Implantation in a Fontan Ovine Model for Continuous and Long-Term Hemodynamic Monitoring
Published on: May 2, 2025
Surgical and interventional rescue strategies for Fontan failure
Gregor Gierlinger1,2, Eva Sames-Dolzer1,2, Michaela Kreuzer1,2
1Division of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, Kepler University Hospital, Linz, Austria.
Objectives:
Fontan patients are at lifelong risk for developing complications, which may result in Fontan failure. Survival rates after heart transplantation (HTX) are still unsatisfying in these patients. Long-term survival of extracardiac Fontan patients in the modern era was investigated. The objective of this study was to investigate if surgical and interventional procedures in patients with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and/or plastic bronchitis (PB) and a failing Fontan circulation can postpone or avoid HTX.
Methods:
Retrospective data collection of all children who underwent a Fontan procedure between January 1999 and July 2021 at our centre was performed. Patients were surveyed regarding the occurrence of PLE or PB and their outcome was reported descriptively. HTX-free survival of patients who underwent a rescue procedure due to PLE/PB was evaluated.
Results:
Three hundred and seventy [94.1% (95% confidence interval, 91.4-96.3)] Fontan patients were free of HTX or death at last follow-up after a median follow-up time of 6.7 years. PB/PLE was diagnosed in 34 patients during the observation period. A rescue procedure was undertaken in 16 pts. at a median time of 6.5 months (range: 1 day to 9.4 years) since the initial diagnosis of PLE/PB. In these patients, HTX-free survival was 75% (95% confidence interval, 47.6-92.7) at a median follow-up time of 4.0 years after the procedure. Range: 3.5 months to 13.9 years.
Conclusions:
Extracardiac Fontan patients in the modern era expect reasonable HTX-free survival rates. Surgical and/or interventional rescue strategies for Fontan failure can postpone HTX for a sustained period of time.
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