Cooperative intervention: Transcatheter and surgical management of the single ventricle

The prognosis for children with single ventricle congenital heart disease has improved dramatically with the development and refinement of the Fontan operation. In the past, cardiac catheterization was primarily a diagnostic tool to guide surgical treatment. However, advances in catheter-based therapies have further enhanced the care of these patients by providing options to manage several problems in the catheterization laboratory with low mortality and morbidity, complimenting and improving surgical outcomes. The optimal care of these patients requires an integrated approach involving surgical and catheter-based techniques. This review focuses on the interventional catheterization procedures and techniques employed in single ventricle patients, with emphasis on integration with the surgical stages.