The Fontan Right Atrium—In Context

Dynamics of right heart flow in patients after Fontan procedure.

In seven patients who underwent Fontan procedures but in whom no valves were inserted, dynamics of right heart flow were evaluated with the use of a catheter-tipped velocity transducer, pulsed Doppler echocardiography, and angiocardiography. Right atrial (RA) contraction caused a forward flow to the pulmonary artery (PA) and a backward flow to the inferior vena cava (IVC). Backward flow to the ...

The bantamweight right ventricle and the Fontan operation. One-two-three and the right ventricle is out ... maybe.

‘‘Molecular gene’’: interpretation in the right context

How to interpret the ‘‘molecular gene’’ concept is discussed in this paper. I argue that the architecture of biological systems is hierarchical and multi-layered, exhibiting striking similarities to that of modern computers. Multiple layers exist between the genotype and system level property, the phenotype. This architectural complexity gives rise to the intrinsic complexity of the genotype-ph...

Effect of right ventricular anatomy on the cardiopulmonary response to exercise. Implications for the Fontan procedure.

Incorporation of the right ventricle (RV) into the pulmonary circulation of patients with tricuspid atresia undergoing a Fontan procedure has been advocated. The consequences of this approach on the exercise function of these patients was studied by examining the effects of progressive and steady-state bicycle exercise tests performed by 11 patients with right atrial (RA)-RV Fontan anastomoses,...

Altered dystrophin expression in the right atrium of a patient after Fontan procedure with atrial flutter.

Underlying mechanisms in the development of atrial flutter or intra-atrial re-entry tachycardia in patients with structural cardiac abnormalities remain poorly defined. The right atrial myocardium from two patients with congenital heart disease was evaluated, of whom one presented with severe right atrial dilation and arrhythmia and the other with a normal right atrium, to assess whether increa...