Modified extracardiac Fontan operation with direct total cavopulmonary connection / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective In order to optimize the Fontan circulation,a technique for direct total cavopulmonary connection was devised.To evaluate its surgical feasibility as well as surgical outcomes,our clinical experience was retrospectively reviewed.Methods From August 2005 to March 2012,23 consecutive patients underwent modified extracardiac Fontan operation with direct total cavopulmonary connection.Clinical profile of the patients,and procedural variables were examined and analyzed.Results All patients had adequately developed main and branch pulmonary arteries.Inferior caval vein was contralateral to the pulmonary trunk main pulmonary artery in 7 cases,ipsilateral in 8,and others in 8.There was 1 hospital death.The other 22 patients remained hemodynamically stable postoperatively.Prolonged effusions (n =13,62％) was a challenging problem.No obvious stenosis was found at the direct cavopulmonary anastomosis.Conclusion we are convinced that a direct total cavopulmonary connection is feasible in select subset of patients.This modified Fontan procedure retains the advantage of extracardiac connections together with the avoidance of prosthetic materials.