Rabbitts, Jennifer A.

SummaryObjectivesTo describe the experience of a single, tertiary care institution in the care of patients with Fontan physiology undergoing anesthesia for noncardiac surgery.BackgroundThe Fontan procedure was developed in 1971 to palliate patients with univentricular cardiac physiology leading to long‐term survival of these patients, who may now present as adults for noncardiac surgery.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of Fontan patients 16 years and older who underwent general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Preoperative data, perioperative course, intraoperative and postoperative hemodynamic, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and renal complications were described.ResultsThirty‐nine general anesthetics were administered to 31 patients for noncardiac surgery after Fontan palliation. Perioperative complications occurred in 12 of the 39 (31%) noncardiac surgeries, and there was one postoperative death that occurred on day 13 after ventral hernia repair. The two patients who had complications that did not resolve (long‐term dialysis and death) had ejection fractions well below the mean for the group (22% and 28%).ConclusionIt may be more appropriate for Fontan patients to undergo anesthesia for noncardiac surgery in a tertiary institution, particularly patients with an ejection fraction of <30%. Intraoperative arterial blood pressure monitoring and overnight admission are likely appropriate for most cases.

Background The American College of Cardiology released a scientific advisory that included a recommendation to delay elective of noncardiac surgery (NCS) for 1 yr after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with a drug-eluting stent (DES). Methods This single-center, retrospective study examined the risk for complications of NCS performed within 2 yr after DES placement and examined whether this risk changed based on the time between procedures. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) during the hospitalization for NCS. Bleeding events were analyzed as a secondary endpoint. Results From April 22, 2003, to December 31, 2006, a total of 520 patients underwent NCS within 2 yr after PCI with a DES at Mayo Clinic. The majority, 84%, of the DES placed were Cypher stents. The frequency of MACE was not found to be significantly associated with the time between PCI and NCS (rate of MACEs 6.4, 5.7, 5.9, and 3.3% at 0-90, 91-180, 181-365, and 366-730 days after PCI with DES, respectively; P = 0.727 for comparison across groups). Characteristics found to be associated with MACEs in univariate analysis were advanced age (P = 0.031), emergent NCS (P = 0.006), shock at time of PCI (P = 0.035), previous history of myocardial infarction (P = 0.046), and continuation of a thienopyridine (ticlopidine or clopidogrel) into the preoperative period (P = 0.040). The rate of transfusion did not seem to be associated with antiplatelet therapy use. Conclusions The risk of MACEs with NCS after DES placement was not significantly associated with time from stenting to surgery, but observed rates of MACEs were lowest after 1 yr.