How to Pronounce Fontan Procedure

Say it like this: FON-tan proh-SEE-jur. The first word rhymes with 'fountain' but without the 'ain' sound at the end—just FON-tan. The second word is pronounced like 'pro' (as in professional) plus 'SEE' (like the letter C) plus 'jur' (rhymes with 'her'). The stress falls on FON in the first word and on SEE in the second word.

Stress the first syllable of 'Fontan'—FON-tan—so it sounds like FON-tun. Then in 'Procedure,' stress the middle syllable: pro-SEE-jur. A common mistake is stressing the second syllable (fon-TAN), but the correct way puts the emphasis on FON.

'Fontan' breaks into two syllables: FON-tan. 'Procedure' breaks into three syllables: pro-SEE-jur. Together, the whole term has five syllables: FON-tan proh-SEE-jur.

It's a surgical procedure—a medical operation—named after the doctor who created it. In everyday language, you might just call it 'the Fontan' when talking to doctors. The procedure itself is a way to help the heart work better in certain situations, but the word just refers to the surgery itself.

'Fontan' is the last name of Francis Fontan, a French surgeon who developed this procedure. When a surgical technique is named after the doctor who invented it, we call that an 'eponym'—the doctor's name becomes the medical term. That's why you'll hear 'Fontan' rather than a description of what the surgery does.

Yes, doctors and medical professionals often just say 'the Fontan' instead of the full name. You might also hear people say 'Fontan operation' or 'Fontan surgery'—all three ways mean the same thing.

'Procedure' comes from Latin and means a way of doing something step-by-step. You'll hear it in other medical terms like 'surgical procedure,' 'medical procedure,' or 'diagnostic procedure.' Whenever doctors are talking about steps they take to do something medical, they often use the word 'procedure.'

You might hear: 'The Fontan procedure is one type of heart surgery' or 'Her doctor explained that the Fontan would be the final step in her treatment plan.' Notice that you can use the full name or just 'the Fontan'—both are correct in medical conversations.