Transcatheter Fontan Completion Without Open-Heart Surgery | September 2026
Transcatheter Fontan Completion Without Open-Heart Surgery | September 2026
Patient: A 2-year-old child with double-outlet right ventricle.
Procedure: One of the first successful transcatheter Fontan completions in the U.S., performed at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami.
Technique: A covered stent was deployed through a pathway prepared during the previous Glenn surgery, directing blood from the IVC to the pulmonary arteries.
Benefits: Avoided repeat sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass, allowing faster recovery.
Clinical significance: A less invasive alternative to surgical Fontan completion in carefully selected children, requiring advance planning.
Source: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, September 9, 2026.