Towards the goal of achieving a normal duration and quality of life after Fontan operation: Creation of the International Fontan Interest group (I-FIG), an international collaborative initiative dedicated to improving outcomes

Abstract

A growing population of patients are now surviving the Fontan procedure and face an uncertain future and a clear burden of disease. The best medical therapy and follow-up modalities for these patients have not yet been identified, indications for transplantation are unclear and we have not been successful in mechanically supporting their circulation. There has only been a limited number of trials to address these issues. An international group has now been created to launch the large scale multi-centric research needed to provide the best future to this growing population: the International Fontan Interest Group (I-FIG). Its mission is to "better understand the Fontan circulation, and improve treatment and long-term outcomes of the patients who have undergone the Fontan procedure". We intend to build a large platform which will attract researchers of other specialties such as gastro-enterology, neurology and psychology and reach in the field of genomics, molecular biology, pharmacology and bio-informatics.