Atrioventricular valve repair in univentricular hearts: no longer a bridge too far?

It is increasingly apparent that atrioventricular valve (AVV) failure is a major cause of mortality in patients with a Fontan circulation (1). Furthermore, patients with a common AVV are at the highest risk of AVV failure among those with a Fontan circulation (1-4). Atrioventricular valve repair is notoriously difficult in the setting of a common AVV, and failed repair is associated with very high mortality (3). One of the major contributing factors to AVV failure in these patients is the attenuated fibrous skeleton of the heart, which increases the risk of annular dilatation (5).

Source: Operative Techniques in Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery - May 8, 2022 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Edward Buratto, Igor E. Konstantinov Source Type: research