EVALUATION OF FONTAN OPERATION BY MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Fontan-type procedures for tricuspid atresia1-3 and the modifications used for other complex cyanotic cardiac malformations4,5 should be judged by the complications and long-term state of patients.6 The most important complication is insidious obstruction. Early recognition of this is vital since it can lead to arrhythmias and loss of atrial and ventricular function. At catheterization attention must be paid to small gradients as low as 2 or 3 mm Hg. A reliable noninvasive method for assessing the atriopulmonary connection as well as the cardiac function applicable to outpatients is necessary for proper management. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used as a noninvasive method of assessing congenital heart disease, both pre- and postoperatively.7-10 This study assesses its value for demonstrating the anatomy of the atriopulmonary connection and recognizing obstruction compared to 2-dimensional echocardiography and the findings at catheterization and operation. © 1990.