All issues > Volume 46(7); 2003

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2003;46(7):661-667. Published online July 15, 2003.

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

Gi Young GY Jang¹, Sun Young SY Kim², Joo Ryung JR Moon³, Joon J Huh³, I-Seok IS Kang³, Seung Woo SW Park³, Tae Gook TG Jun³, Pyo Won PW Park³, Heung Jae HJ Lee³

¹Department of Pediatrics, Sejong Heart Institute, Puchon, Korea
²Department of Pediatrics, Cheonan Hospital, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Korea
³GUCH Clinic, Cardiovascular Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Heung Jae HJ Lee ,Email: hjlsmc@samsung.co.kr

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.

Keywords :Tetralogy of Fallot, Adults, Follow-up