American Heart Association And Additional Ventures Commit Twenty Million Dollars To Transform Lifelong Care For Fontan Circulation Patients

The AHA and Additional Ventures launch a $20 million program to better predict and treat complications for people living with single ventricle heart disease.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 10:11 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from American Heart Association

Addressing the Challenges of Single Ventricle Surgery

The American Heart Association has joined forces with Additional Ventures to tackle the unique physiological strain caused by the Fontan procedure, a lifesaving surgery for children born with only one functional heart pump. While the operation effectively reroutes blood flow, it creates a specialized "Fontan circulation" that places persistent, long-term stress on the entire body. Approximately 6 out of every 10,000 infants in the United States are born with this condition, and many face a future of progressive organ damage that current medical protocols are not yet fully equipped to predict or prevent.

The Invisible Decline of Fontan Health

A primary driver of this $20 million investment is the lack of reliable tools for monitoring the subtle health declines associated with single ventricle heart disease. Clinicians currently struggle to detect early signs of cardiovascular or systemic failure, often leaving patients in a state of perceived stability until a sudden, life-threatening complication occurs. This new initiative seeks to close that diagnostic gap by generating high-quality data and scientific insights that can help medical professionals intervene long before a patient reaches a critical or fatal stage of decline.

Systemic Impact on Multi Organ Function

The strain of Fontan circulation extends far beyond the heart, frequently causing secondary complications in the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Mariell Jessup, Chief Medical and Science Officer for the American Heart Association, emphasized that the coordination between these two organizations is designed to help both patients and clinicians better navigate these multi-organ risks. By focusing on how the unique blood flow patterns affect the body’s peripheral systems, the program hopes to develop a more holistic approach to the chronic management of single ventricle survivors.