Pregnancy with a Fontan Circulation

It is possible to be pregnant and have a successful birth after having a Fontan operation. However, it may be too risky for some women. It is important to discuss any potential pregnancy with your adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) specialist. If you and your doctor think pregnancy is a possibility, you will need highly specialized and coordinated care during your pregnancy. Expect to work closely with your ACHD specialist and maternal-fetal medicine teams throughout pregnancy and in the months after your pregnancy.

A May 2018 study was published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes on pregnancy in women with a Fontan circulation. The authors studied 255 pregnancies in 133 women with a Fontan circulation who had a pregnancy.

Their findings included the following:

• It is possible to be pregnant and have a successful birth after a Fontan operation.
• Losing the baby early in pregnancy is highly likely and occurs in almost half of women.
• Heart rhythm problems affect approximately 1 in 10 pregnant women.
• Heart failure affects 1 in 25 women having a pregnancy with a Fontan operation.
• Bleeding after birth commonly affected these mothers. This needs to be carefully monitored.