Commentary: Transplantation After Norwood Palliation: Proper Preparation Minimizes the Risk

As the population with a Fontan circulation continues to grow, there is an increasing rate of patients with Fontan failure being referred for heart transplantation.1 Importantly, there has been an increase in the proportion of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome surviving to achieve Fontan completion, and these patients represent the highest complexity for heart transplantation due to their aortic arch and pulmonary artery anatomy. The mortality rate for transplantation in patients with single ventricle palliation has been reported to be as high as 20-30%,2-4 and it is likely that many have been denied transplantation due to the perceived extremely high risk.
Source: Operative Techniques in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Congenital - Commentary Source Type: research