Mechanical Circulatory Support of the Fontan Patient

Because of the inadequacies inherent to a circulation supported by a single ventricle, many Fontan patients will experience failure of their circulation. To date, there is no medical regimen that reliably and consistently restores circulatory function in these patients. Because of the shortage of donor organs and the fact that many of these patients present with features that either preclude or render heart transplantation a high risk, there is an intense need to better understand how mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may benefit these patients.

Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Annual - December 20, 2016 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Ronald K. Woods, Nancy S. Ghanayem, Michael E. Mitchell, Steven Kindel, Robert A. Niebler Source Type: research