Pediheart Podcast 49: Surveillance of the Fontan Patient + Novel Ventilation Approaches for the Fontan Patient

Summary: This week we review the Fontan and long term issues of surveillance and Fontan failure with 2 articles. The first is a large survey study reviewing practice patterns amongst large Fontan clinics in the US. We review this interesting topic of optimal assessment of the Fontan with Dr. Mike DiMaria who is first author of this recent work and also Associate Professor University of Colorado. We then review a case report on biphasic curaiss ventilation for the treatment of Fontan associated PLE and plastic bronchitis with first author Professor Seigo Okada from Kyushu Hospital in Japan and also with Dr. Pradeep Charla who is the director of the adult congenital heart program at University Hospitals and Rainbow Babies Hospital. Both Dr. Okada and Dr. Charla have extensive experience with this form of 'iron lung' therapy in the setting of a Fontan and share this experience with us all. doi: 10.1007/s00246-018-1966-9 and doi: 10.1536/ihj.17-292.