Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2023;81(10):960-968.
doi: 10.33963/KP.a2023.0178. Epub 2023 Aug 4.

Current practice of care for adolescent and adult patients after Fontan surgery in Poland

Affiliations
Free article
Multicenter Study

Current practice of care for adolescent and adult patients after Fontan surgery in Poland

Ewa Warchoł-Celińska et al. Kardiol Pol. 2023.
Free article

Abstract

Background: The growing number of adult patients after the Fontan operation requires regular surveillance tests in specialized centers.

Aims: Our study aimed to evaluate the current practice of care for Fontan patients in Poland using a multicenter survey.

Methods: Eight centers were included in the study including 5 adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and 3 pediatric centers for adolescents. To compare the centers and facilitate interpretation of results, the Fontan Surveillance Score (FSS) was developed. The higher score is consistent with better care, with a maximum of 19 points.

Results: We included in the study 398 Fontan patients (243 adults and 155 adolescents [aged 14-18 years]). The median FSS was 13 points with variability between centers (interquartile range 7-14 points). Centers providing continuous care from the pediatric period until 18 years of age achieved a higher FSS compared to ACHD centers (median: 14 points vs. 12 points; P <0.001). Most of the patients, both in the ACHD (82.3%) and pediatric centers (89%), were seen annually and had a physical examination, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram performed at each visit. However, we observed unsatisfactory utilization of tests identifying early stages of Fontan circulation failure (cardiopulmonary exercise tests, cardiac magnetic resonance, liver biochemistry and imaging, detection of protein-losing enteropathy).

Conclusions: Our results showed that there is no unified surveillance approach for Fontan patients in Poland. The practice of care for adults differs from that of adolescents.

Keywords: Fontan surgery; adult congenital heart diseases; practice of care; univentricular heart.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources