Fontan Hemodynamics

Right atrial-pulmonary artery connection places the pulmonary circulation in series with the systemic circulation rather than the single ventricular "parallel" circulatory arrangement that usually is present prior to repair. The accompanying central cardiac shunt and volume overload physiology are eliminated. Favorable changes in ventricular dimension, ventricular wall stress, cardiovascular efficiency, relative systemic perfusion, and arterial oxygen saturation should result. The ongoing myocardial injury associated with the single-ventricle volume overload is presumably arrested and repair is initiated to a variable degree. Some candidates for right atrial-pulmonary artery connection may not benefit from repair because of irreversible ventricular injury. More accurate indices of systolic and diastolic ventricular function should be applied to this difficult group of borderline patients to further define potential for myocardial recovery and, therefore, candidacy for Fontan repair.