Total correction of tetralogy of Fallot.

This paper presents 124 patients operated upon for tetralogy of Fallot in the past 6-year period between 1966 to 1971 at the Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan. The hospital and late mortalities for 124 patients were 11% and 4%, respectively. The clinical status was good to excellent in 92% of the patients at long-term follow up study. Also we have found that previous Blalock-Taussig operation has caused no unfavorable effects on the secondary total correction, nor any rise in operative mortality, and we have found no relationship between operative mortality and polycythemia. Recent reports have advocated the definitive intracardiac repair of tetralogy of Fallot in young children and infants. Our preference is, however, to defer definitive repair until the child reaches 5 years old, using surgical palliation when necessary for the younger child with severe symptoms. In relieving pulmonary stenosis, which vitally affects the overall results of total correction, our technique of right heart outflow tract reconstruction has been generally favorable by either pericardial valved patch or the autologous pericardial valve-bearing tube graft.