[Assessment of patients' condition by noninvasive methods of examination in the follow-up after Fontan's operation in atresia of the right atrioventricular ostium].

The article discusses the results of using noninvasive methods to study the condition of patients (20) in late-term periods after Fonten's operation in atresia of the right atrioventricular orifice. All patients were subjected to physical examination, electro-, phono- and echocardiography, radiological examination, radioisotope scintigraphy, and left ventriculography. Most patients change to functional class I in the late-term periods after the operation. Though the patients have a sense of well being, the left-ventricular pumping and contractile functions remain disturbed. A tendency towards gradual improvement of these parameters is noted, however. The right atrium is enlarged and its myocardium hypertrophied. Its overexertion increases significantly in physical loading. The blood flow in the lungs becomes normal gradually. The results of various noninvasive methods correlate with one another and with the results of angiocardiography. This allows in some cases to avoid intracardiac examination which presents a certain risk, especially in the first one-two years after Fonten's operation when the mechanisms of cardiac activity compensation are still weak.