Effect of liver abnormalities on mortality in Fontan patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD) is one of the most common complications following Fontan procedure, but the impact of FALD on survival outcomes remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine and quantify the influence of liver disease on the survival of Fontan patients.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed, and relevant human studies published from inception up to 12 August 2022 were searched. Stata (version 17.0) was applied to perform the meta-analysis, using random effects (Mantel-Haenszel) models. The I statistic was used to assess the heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were employed to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the potential influence of each study on the overall pooled results.

RESULTS

A total of 312 records were initially identified and 8 studies involving 2,466 patients were selected for inclusion. Results revealed a significant association between the severity of liver disease following Fontan procedure and mortality, which was confirmed by sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis assessing post-HT mortality. Meta-regression showed that diagnostic methods for liver disease may be a source of heterogeneity. After removal of the FALD patients identified by international classification of disease codes, heterogeneity was markedly reduced, and the positive association between all-cause mortality and the severity of liver disease became significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis showed the severity of liver disease following the Fontan procedure has a significant association with mortality. Lifelong follow-up is necessary and imaging examinations are recommended for routine surveillance of liver disease. Among patients with failing Fontan and advanced liver disease, combined heart-liver transplantation may provide additional survival benefits.