Successful biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy in a failing Fontan patient: Implications of ventriculo-ventricular interdependency in single ventricle physiology

Abstract

We describe a Fontan patient with severe heart failure who was successfully treated with biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Our case shows that strain imaging might play a crucial role in guiding placement of pacing leads and in characterizing the electromechanical substrate associated with a favorable CRT response. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time that ventriculo-ventricular interdependency seems an important mechanical concept, which can be utilized to augment cardiac performance in failing Fontan patients with a functional hypoplastic ventricle.

Keywords: Fontan; cardiac resynchronization therapy; dyssynchrony; single ventricle; speckle tracking echocardiography; strain imaging.