An international multicenter study comparing arrhythmia prevalence between the intracardiac lateral tunnel and the extracardiac conduit type of Fontan operations.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-2014

Identifier

DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2013.08.070

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to determine whether the extracardiac conduit Fontan confers an arrhythmia advantage over the intracardiac lateral tunnel Fontan.

METHODS: This multicenter study of 1271 patients compared bradyarrhythmia (defined as need for pacing) and tachyarrhythmia (defined as needing antiarrhythmic therapy) between 602 patients undergoing the intracardiac Fontan and 669 patients undergoing the extracardiac Fontan. The median age at the time of the Fontan procedure was 2.1 years (interquartile range, 1.6-3.2 years) for the intracardiac group and 3.0 years (interquartile range, 2.4-3.9) for the extracardiac group (P < .0001). The median follow-up was 9.2 years (interquartile range, 5-12.8) for the intracardiac group and 4.7 years (interquartile range, 2.8-7.7) for the extracardiac group (P < .0001).

RESULTS: Early postoperative (<30 >days) bradyarrhythmia occurred in 24 patients (4%) in the intracardiac group and 73 patients (11%) in the extracardiac group (P < .0001). Early postoperative (30 days) bradyarrhythmia occurred in 105 patients (18%) in the intracardiac group and 63 patients (9%) in the extracardiac group (P < .0001). Late (>30 days) tachyarrhythmia occurred in 58 patients (10%) in the intracardiac group and 23 patients (3%) in the extracardiac group (P < .0001). By multivariate analysis factoring time since surgery, more patients in the extracardiac group had early bradycardia (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.8-4.6), with no difference in early tachycardia, late bradycardia, or late tachycardia.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall arrhythmia burden is similar between the 2 groups, but the extracardiac Fontan group had a higher incidence of early bradyarrhythmias. There was no difference in the incidence of late tachyarrhythmias over time between the 2 operations. Therefore, the type of Fontan performed should be based on factors other than an anticipated reduction in arrhythmia burden from the extracardiac conduit.

Journal Title

The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery

Volume

148

Issue

2

First Page

576

Last Page

581

MeSH Keywords

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Bradycardia; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Chi-Square Distribution; Child, Preschool; Female; Fontan Procedure; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Logistic Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Patient Selection; Prevalence; Proportional Hazards Models; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Tachycardia; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

Keywords

Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Bradycardia; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Chi-Square Distribution; Child, Preschool; Female; Fontan Procedure; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Logistic Models; Male; Multivariate Analysis; Odds Ratio; Patient Selection; Prevalence; Proportional Hazards Models; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Tachycardia; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

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