Dyspnoea and exercise intolerance during cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with univentricular heart. The effects of chronic hypoxaemia and Fontan procedure.

Abstract

Patients with univentricular hearts have decreased exercise tolerance and may demonstrate exertional dyspnoea. It is not known if chronic hypoxaemia exacerbates exercise intolerance and contributes to symptomatic limitation. The extent to which surgical correction of a right-to-left shunt by a Fontan-type procedure can increase exercise tolerance by reducing arterial deoxygenation is not well documented. The cardiopulmonary exercise responses and the symptomatic status in two groups of univentricular patients, those who are cyanotic and those who are acyanotic with Fontan-type circulation, were compared.