Abstract
Introduction
Treatment of patients with univentricular physiology is based on a sequence of palliative surgeries which end with the Fontan operation, when all venous blood flow is diverted to the lungs, bypassing the heart. Most centers advise to complete this process around 4 years of age, and there are few data about the performance of the Fontan operation in adults.
Purpose
To describe the results of the Fontan surgery when performed in adult patients.
Methods
A retrospective review of patients submitted to the Fontan operation between 2014 and 2018, with data collection from charts, regarding their pre-operative state and follow up, including improvement in exercise capacity and hemoglobin levels.
Results
There were 12 patients submitted to the Fontan operation in the study period, with mean age 24±5 years, 8 female and 4 male. Two patients had no previous surgery, 2 only had bandage of the pulmonary artery, 7 had the Glenn surgery and 1 had the Damus and the Glenn surgery.
Five patients had tricuspid atresia (TA) with valvular pulmonary stenosis (PS) or atresia, 1 patient had TA alone, 2 had TA with transposition of the great arteries, 1 patient had double inlet left ventricle (LV) with PS, 2 had double inlet LV with coarctation of the aorta, and 1 patient had hypoplastic right heart. One patient had suspected Noonan Syndrome.
The patients who did not have Glenn surgery were submitted to connection of superior and inferior venae cavae with the pulmonary artery in the same procedure (4 patients). Seven patients had the fenestrated Fontan procedure. Six patients had a combined operation.
Inhospital mortality was 0%. One patient died 4 months after the surgery due to bilateral subdural hematoma. The immediate post operative complications were tachyarrhythmia (2); important bleeding (2); pericardial effusion (4); pleural effusion (7); provisional pacemaker (1); junctional rhythmn (1); temporary hemodialysis (1); infection of the operative wound (1); fungal endocarditis (1); and mild stroke (1).
The mean duration of hospitalization was 41.5±18.7 days. The length of hospital stay after surgery was 31.1±16.2 days.
The exercise functional capacity improved in all patients. Before surgery there was 1 patient NYHA II that became NYHA I, 10 were NYHA III and became II or I, and 1 patient who was NYHA IV became II. The average oxygen saturation before surgery was 82% ± 8.2% and after was 91.7% ± 4.7%. The mean hemoglobin went from 17.8 g/dL to 13.9 g/dL.
Eight patients performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) before surgery, 1 patient was Weber B, 4 patients Weber C, 1 D and 1 E. Mean VO2 max was 11.7 ml/kg.min (± 3.69), and the mean slope was 71.8±35.0. Four patients performed CPX after surgery, mean VO2 max was 16.5±7.3, and mean slope was 39±16.6.
Mean follow up was 20.3±17.7 months.
Conclusions
The Fontan operation is safe in adult patients and may still confer them significant benefits.
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