Echocardiographic assessment of diastolic function in the Fontan heart: Feasible or flight of fancy?

In the current era, the majority of children palliated with a Fontan circulation will survive to adulthood but there is a gradual attrition due to circulatory failure. The pathophysiology that contributes to the demise of the Fontan circulation is complex. Diastolic dysfunction may be an important contributing factor but is challenging to diagnose non-invasively as diastolic assessment with echocardiography is not well-validated in the setting...