J Korean Pediatr Soc.  2003 Jul;46(7):661-667.

Follow-up in Adult after Total Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot

• Jang GY
• Kim SY
• Moon JR
• Huh J
• Kang IS
• Park SW
• Jun TG
• Park PW
• Lee HJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was performed to find the chief clinical problems associated with the ages of adult patients of tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) who had undergone total correction.
METHODS
Of the 30 patients who were registered at the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease (GUCH) Clinic of Samsung Medical Center for TOF, a retrospective investigation was carried out on 28 patients who underwent total correction.
RESULTS
Mean age at retrospective study was 30.8(range : 16-53) years old. Age at total correction was 15.8(range : 2-49) years old. Problems after corrective surgery were assessed. They were arrhythmia, pulmonary valve regurgitation, left pulmonary artery stenosis, residual ventricular septal defect, mitral valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction, aortic valve regurgitation, infective endocarditis and protein losing enteropathy. After repair of TOF, such arrhythmias as atrial arrhythmia and AV conduction disturbances were observed in some patients. Cardiomegaly was found significantly in the subjects with arrhythmia(P<0.05), and arrhythmia was less observed in patients who underwent surgery at a young age. Eight patients required a reoperation; the main indications were residual ventricular septal defect, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction and peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis.
CONCLUSION
The majority of the patients seemed to live normal lives after Tetralogy of Fallot repair. However, as residual anatomic and functional abnormalities exist postoperatively, continued careful follow-up is needed to detect and correct structural and functional abnormalities.

Keyword

Tetralogy of Fallot; Adults; Follow-up

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Aortic Valve
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Cardiomegaly
Constriction, Pathologic
Endocarditis
Follow-Up Studies*
Heart Defects, Congenital
Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular
Heart Ventricles
Humans
Mitral Valve Insufficiency
Protein-Losing Enteropathies
Pulmonary Artery
Pulmonary Valve Insufficiency
Reoperation
Retrospective Studies
Tetralogy of Fallot*
Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency