Aster Medcity Performs Kerala’s First Non- Surgical Fontan Procedure on Children with Single-Ventricle Heart
Kochi, 29th September 2025: Aster Medcity has achieved a major milestone in pediatric cardiology by successfully performing Kerala’s first-ever Transcatheter Fontan completions—a non-surgical alternative for children with complex congenital heart defects. The groundbreaking procedures were performed on two young children, offering them a less invasive path to improved heart function without the need for open-heart surgery.
The Fontan completion is the final and critical stage in the treatment of children born with single-ventricle physiology, a condition where only one heart chamber effectively pumps blood. Traditionally, this requires major surgery to connect the inferior vena cava (IVC) to the pulmonary artery, allowing oxygen-poor blood to reach the lungs without passing through the heart.
One of the first recipients was a five-year-old girl from Idukki, diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, who had previously undergone a Glenn shunt in infancy. Her case was particularly complex due to her family’s Jehovah’s Witness faith, which prohibits blood transfusions, making traditional surgery too risky. The Aster team successfully completed the Fontan circulation using a covered stent, and she was discharged in five days. Two months later, she is thriving.
The second case involved a four-and-a-half-year-old boy from Ernakulam, born with a double inlet left ventricle. Having already undergone two surgeries, his family sought a minimally invasive alternative to avoid a third open-heart procedure. After careful planning and CT imaging, a covered stent was placed, completing the Fontan pathway. The child recovered quickly with no complications.
“This innovative approach offers new hope to families of children with complex heart defects, and we are proud to introduce this advanced, non-surgical treatment in Kerala,” said Dr. Edwin Francis, Director & Senior Consultant – Paediatric Cardiology, Aster Medcity, Kochi.
Both procedures represent a transformative shift in managing single-ventricle heart conditions—achieving Fontan circulation without major incisions, bypass, or blood transfusions.