title: Total cavopulmonary connection with extraatrial tunnel.
abstract: Between April 1997 and February 2000, total cavopulmonary connection with an extraatrial tunnel was used to treat 9 cases of complicated congenital heart disease: single ventricle (4), double-outlet right ventricle (3), mitral atresia (1), and tricuspid atresia (1). There was no mortality. One patient developed bacterial endocarditis and required reoperation after 52 days to replace the tunnel. At follow-up ranging from 11 months to 3 years, 3 patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I, and 6 were in class II. One patient with single ventricle had refractory supraventricular tachycardia after a modified Fontan operation 4 years earlier, which was cured by the total cavopulmonary connection procedure. The essential factors for a good outcome include appropriate surgical indication, avoidance of aortic crossclamping and cardiac arrest, and unobstructed anastomosis between the superior and inferior venae cavae and the pulmonary artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shenyang Northern Hospital, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ren Fu
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Han Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Hong Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ming Xiao
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Xin Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Heng Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Nan Bin
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D002648:Child; D004310:Double Outlet Right Ventricle / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D018610:Heart Bypass, Right / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000601:surgery; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000601:surgery