Andrea Harenčárová, Jana Zemánková, Marián Hrebík
Fontan circulation is an end-point of the staged palliative surgical approach to the most difficult congenital heart defects – heart defects with the physiology of single ventricle – either the left or right ventricle. The outcome for these patients is very bad in the natural course, usually fatal. The only alternative of survival for them is the staged separation of the pulmonary and system circulation, Fontan procedure represents its last stage. The Fontan operation allowed the survival of children born with a single ventricle a relatively good short-term and mid-term outcome. The inevitable consequences of the Fontan surgery are late chronic complications. A Fontan patient needs a lifelong complex care, a close cooperation of a paediatric cardiologist, a cardiologist for adult patients and other specialists. Heart transplantation should be considered in the most difficult cases.