The Fontan procedure is a type of cardiac surgery that supplies blood to the lungs in those whose unique hearts have a single pumping chamber that supplies blood to the rest of the body. This type of cardiac surgery may be used to treat a wide variety of conditions, including:
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Tricuspid atresia
Unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect
Double outlet right ventricle
Double inlet left ventricle
Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum
Fontan circulation affects how the heart and organs function at various ages and stages of a child’s life. Surgery to achieve this circulation is most often completed before children enter school, between 2 and 5 years of age.
Fontan Go! Program
The Fontan Go! Program at Texas Children’s Heart Center helps children and families navigate the Fontan journey to remain healthy and thriving. As members of the No. 1 ranked pediatric heart center in the country, our care teams have vast knowledge and experience treating kids with Fontan circulation. In addition to heart health, this includes monitoring other organs — like the liver and lungs — and making recommendations for other treatments that may be necessary.
We treat the whole person with a 360-degree wellness approach that emphasizes:
Exercise
Family planning
Mental health
Nutrition
Overall well-being
Comprehensive care
General Fontan care may include one or more of the following:
Blood tests for maintaining Fontan health
Cardiac catheterizations
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
Echocardiograms
Electrocardiograms
Exercise and lung function testing
Liver imaging
Neurodevelopmental care
Psychological care
The nation's #1 heart center
Proud to be ranked the best children’s heart center in the country by U.S. News & World Report for seven consecutive years.
