Forced Vital Capacity Predicts Morbidity and Mortality in Adult Patients with Fontan Circulation

Due to advances in cardiology and cardiac surgery, the 15-year survival after the Fontan operation for palliation of single-ventricle congenital heart disease (CHD) is now over 90% [1,2]. However, survivors with Fontan circulation are at risk for developing long-term complications that include exercise intolerance, congestive heart failure, protein losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis, arrhythmias, stroke, and cirrhosis, all of which contribute to the risk for hospitalization and death in long-term follow-up [2 –6].

Source: Progress in Pediatric Cardiology - January 27, 2017 Category: Cardiology Authors: Katie E. Cohen, Matthew Buelow, Jennifer Dixon, Ruta Brazauskas, Scott Cohen, Michael G. Earing, Salil Ginde Source Type: research