Midterm follow-up of the status of Gore-Tex graft after extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure☆

Abstract

During midterm follow-up of about 3 years, the conduit cross-sectional area decreased by 14%, and this did not differ according to the conduit size used. The extent of decrease of the conduit cross-sectional area remained stable irrespective of the follow-up duration. Sixteen millimeters conduit showed no evidence of clinically significant stenosis, but careful follow-up is warranted because of the possible conduit stenosis relative to the patients' somatic growth.

The development and translation of the tissue-engineered vascular graft

“…The second paper was from a large Korean cohort, which was serially monitored using serial angiography. This group noted similar findings demonstrating around a 20% narrowing after the first 6 months after implantation [5]. Furthermore, the optimal treatment for asymptomatic stenosis has yet to be determined.…”

“…There are only 2 papers in the literature that serially monitor EC TCPC conduits using the same imaging modality [4,5]. The first is a large series from Italy, which selectively and randomly imaged a fraction of their cohort using serial MRI.…”

The modern Fontan operation shows no increase in mortality out to 20 years: A new paradigm

“…In an era before the use of PTFE conduits, the risk of requiring reoperation for pathway obstruction gradually increased over time. This has not been the case with the use of PTFE tubes, in which late conduit obstruction is rare, 11,[17][18][19][20] and no late increasing hazard was identified in this experience after 20 years.…”

Long-Term Results of Cell-Free Biodegradable Scaffolds for In Situ Tissue-Engineering Vasculature: In a Canine Inferior Vena Cava Model

“…However, concerns still remain regarding non-biocompatibility, such as calcification [13], thrombosis [14], [15], [16], and decreased diameter due to pseudo-intimal peel formation [16], [17], [18]. Although an i TEV is initially an artificial material when implanted, the scaffold resorbs over time, allowing regeneration of “native vessels.…”