1. High-risk Fontan completion patients achieve low perioperative risk and benefit from cavopulmonary connection 7 years out†
- Author
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Orla Franklin, Colin J. McMahon, Jonathan McGuinness, John M Redmond, John S Byrne, Paul Oslizlok, Lars Nolke, Gaia Vigano, and Kevin Walsh
- Subjects
Male ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Vena Cava, Superior ,Adolescent ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Hemodynamics ,Pulmonary Artery ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Fontan Procedure ,Risk Assessment ,Fontan procedure ,03 medical and health sciences ,Postoperative Complications ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal medicine ,medicine.artery ,medicine ,Humans ,Child ,Retrospective Studies ,business.industry ,Postoperative complication ,General Medicine ,Perioperative ,Catheter ,Exact test ,Treatment Outcome ,030228 respiratory system ,Child, Preschool ,Pulmonary artery ,Cardiology ,Female ,Surgery ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Fenestration ,business ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Our unit has pursued Fontan completion in all patients except those with immobility or combined poor ventricular function and high pulmonary artery pressures. We assessed retrospectively whether conventional high-risk criteria would predict patients with a poorer outcome. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-three consecutive children who underwent extracardiac Fontan completion (2004–2012) had their outcomes recorded (mean follow-up of 7 years). Three groups were analysed: those with 1 of 6 historical risk factors (outside 6 commandments), those with 1 of reduced systemic ventricular function or pulmonary artery pressure >15 mmHg (outside 2 commandments) versus those with no contraindications. The Fischer’s exact test examined frequency differences, with the χ2 test to look for outcome associations. RESULTS: There were no differences in postoperative complication rates between the outside 6 commandments (n = 105) or outside 2 commandments (n = 49) versus the low-risk no-contraindication group (n = 28): arrhythmias [18% (P = 0.3) or 18% (P = 0.3) vs 25%], infection [22% (P = 0.6) or 33% (P = 0.2) vs 21%], cerebrovascular accident [6% (P = 0.5) or 10% (P = 0.3) vs 4%], length of stay [20 days (P = 0.4) or 23 days (P = 0.2) vs 21 days] and duration of chest drainage (P = 0.5). There was 1 predischarge mortality in each group. Long term, the majority of patients in each group had suitable haemodynamics for fenestration closure [95% (P = 0.7) or 95% (P = 0.7) vs 92%]. Long term, there was no difference in the rate of arrhythmias [11% (P = 0.5) or 12.5% (P = 0.3) vs 7%], protein-losing enteropathy [1% (P = 0.1) or 2% (P = 0.3) vs 7%] or moderate or more ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography [2% (P = 0.7) or 4% (P = 0.7) vs 4%]. Notably, there was a higher rate of catheter reinterventions in the high-risk groups [22% (P CONCLUSIONS The medium-term benefits of Fontan completion can be achieved for high-risk patients, suggesting that historical selection criteria should be re-examined.
- Published
- 2019
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