Giornale italiano di cardiologia
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Comparative Study
[Compromise of the cardiac autonomic nervous system in patients with Fontan-type circulation: preliminary data].
Rhythm disturbances are frequent after Fontan operations. Arrhythmias related to reduced heart rate variability (HRV) have been described in various cardiovascular diseases. ⋯ Patients with Fontan circulation had a significantly reduced HRV and particularly abnormal sympatho-vagal balance. Surgery on the caval veins and the atria alters the intracardiac ganglia that are abundant at the cavo-atrial junction and in the myocardium of the right atrium. Abnormalities of HRV in Fontan patients may act as a co-factor in the initiation of arrhythmia in these patients.