Aortopulmonary collateral vessels and prolonged pleural effusions after modified Fontan procedures

• Published in: The American heart journal Vol. 131; no. 6; pp. 1164 - 1168
• Main Authors: Spicer, Robert L., Uzark, Karen C., Moore, John W., Mainwaring, Richard D., Lamberti, John J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.06.1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aorta - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Collateral Circulation; Female; Fontan Procedure - adverse effects; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Pleural Effusion - etiology; Pleural Effusion - physiopathology; Pulmonary Artery - physiopathology; Pulmonary Veins - physiopathology; Retrospective Studies; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Human; Collateral circulation; Radiodiagnosis; Angiography; Effusion; Respiratory disease; Surgery; Pleural disease; Complication; Aortopulmonary; Fontan operation; Pleura
• ISSN: 0002-8703; 1097-6744
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-8703(96)90092-7

Pleural effusions after the modified Fontan procedure are unpredictable, increase morbidity, and prolong hospital stay. To assess the relation between preoperative characteristics and postoperative pleural drainage, we performed a retrospective study of 71 patients who underwent Fontan procedures. Analyses revealed no significant relation between duration of effusion and age at Fontan, preoperative oxygen saturation, pulmonary artery pressure, ventricular end-diastolic pressure, type of Fontan, or prior cavopulmonary anastomosis. Patients with significant aortopulmonary collateral vessels evidenced by angiographic opacification of the pulmonary arteries or veins had more prolonged pleural drainage. The duration of the pleural drainage was significantly less in patients who had aortopulmonary collateral occlusion.