Surgical Outcomes for Late Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot
Author Information
Author(s): Schaffner Damien, Maitre Guillaume, Lava Sebastiano A.G., Boegli Yann, Dolci Mirko, Pfister Raymond, Sekarski Nicole, Marie-Hélène Perez, Di Bernardo Stefano
Primary Institution: Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Can late complete surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot be performed with low mortality and morbidity?
Conclusion
Late complete surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot has low mortality and morbidity even when pulmonary valve-sparing repair cannot be successfully performed.
Supporting Evidence
- One hundred sixty-five patients were included with a median age of 4.5 years.
- There was no early surgical mortality.
- Preservation of pulmonary valve function is associated with shorter ventilation time, ICU and hospital lengths of stay.
- Only severe right ventricular hypertrophy, severe right ventricle outflow tract obstruction, and hypoplasia of the main pulmonary artery were independent predictors of failure to preserve the pulmonary annulus.
Takeaway
Doctors can fix a heart problem called tetralogy of Fallot even if the surgery is done later in life, and most kids do well after the operation.
Methodology
Retrospective analysis of pre- and perioperative data, as well as 30-days outcome of patients older than one year with a confirmed diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot who had a complete surgical repair between 2005 and 2018.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the humanitarian setup and lack of genetic testing.
Limitations
The study population may have selection bias as it only includes children who survived long enough to be transferred for surgery.
Participant Demographics
Median age of 4.5 years, male to female ratio of 1.75:1, with most patients having chronic cyanotic forms of ToF.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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