Fontan Circulation and Arrhythmia
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Fontan circulation and arrhythmia This information is designed for use by young people medical information on you at all times (eg. Medical with a Fontan circulation and their families. ID bracelet or use a health app on your phone). Why do you need to know about arrhythmia? What do you need to look out for? It is common for people who have a Fontan Watch for symptoms such as: circulation to develop problems with their heart rhythm, this is called an arrhythmia. Up to 40% of shortness of breath patients with Fontan circulation will develop at least feeling lightheaded one arrhythmia in the 10 years after having Fontan fainting surgery. Arrhythmias commonly occur because of palpitations (feeling a fast or irregular heart beat) dilation and scarring (from surgery) in the top chest pain chambers of the heart (the atria). If you notice any of these symptoms you should The chance of developing arrhythmias has reduced immediately seek medical attention. over time as the Fontan procedure has been refined It is possible to have an arrhythmia and not feel that and improved, so patients with an extracardiac anything is wrong. This is one of the reasons why Fontan (the most common type of Fontan operation regularly attending your follow up appointments is done since about 1990) have the lowest rate of important. arrhythmia compared to other, older types of Fontan circulation. Your cardiologist will regularly perform an ECG or Holter Monitor to check your heart rhythm. You Fast heart beats (tachyarrhythmias) are more may hear a normal heart rhythm be described as common than slow heart beats (bradyarrhythmias). normal sinus rhythm. Regularly checking for an Some common arrhythmias experienced by Fontan arrhythmia helps detect problems so that they can patients include: atrial flutter, atrial fibrillation, be treated. atrial tachycardia and supraventricular tachycardia. It is important to be aware of this risk of developing an arrhythmia because an arrhythmia can cause you What is the treatment for arrhythmia? to suddenly feel unwell and you may need medical There are different types of treatment available for assistance. This is also a good reason to have some arrhythmia. These include; This document was last reviewed on 8 November 2017 © The Children’s Hospital at Westmead page 1 of 2 Putting your heart back to a normal rhythm by cardioversion (delivering a safe kind of energy to Arrhythmia: When your heart is beating in a way the heart). that is not normal. Medications called antiarrhythmics. Catheter procedures that map your heart rhythm Bradyarrhythmia: When your heart is beating and change electrical pathways within the heart. abnormally and too slow. Implantation of a pacemaker and/or a Cardioversion: A procedure that delivers a safe defibrillator. kind of energy to the heart to put your heart rhythm back to normal. This is done while you are asleep Deciding on the best treatment option will depend under anaesthetic. on the type of arrhythmia. If you have an Defibrillator: A device that gives an electric shock arrhythmia and don’t already take a blood thinner to change your heart beat back to a normal heart medication (eg. aspirin or warfarin) this may also be beat. recommended to you. ECG: Electrocardiogram, a test that uses stickers on your chest to record the electrical activity of the heart. Remember: Holter Monitor: A test that is like an ECG, you are Arrhythmias are common for patients with given a small portable machine that will record your Fontan circulation. heart rhythm for 24 hours. Arrhythmias can be treated. Palpitations: When your heart is not beating Attending your follow up appointments is normally. It may feel like it is beating too hard, too very important. fast, too slow or missing beats. Sinus Rhythm: The normal heart rhythm. Tachyarrhythmia: When your heart is beating abnormally and too fast. © The Children’s Hospital at Westmead page 2 of 2 .