Tetralogy of Fallot repair with minimal or no ventriculotomy.

Twenty-four consecutive patients with the tetralogy of Fallot underwent repair from March 25, 1985 to March 24, 1986. Correction was achieved without a ventriculotomy in 8 patients, necessitated a minimal ventriculotomy in 8, and a formal right ventriculotomy incision was required in the other 8. There were no early or late phase deaths-0% (70% C.L. 0%-7%). Post repair right ventricular to left ventricular pressure ratios were not significantly different between the three groups (p = 0.85). The 16 patients (66%) who underwent repair without a formal ventriculotomy were found to have severe hypertrophy of the infundibular septum as the primary etiology for right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The other 8 patients (34%), who required a transventricular approach to the repair, were all found to have predominantly hypoplasia of the outflow tract and not hypertrophy. We conclude that repair of the tetralogy of Fallot can frequently be accomplished with no or a minimal ventriculotomy, and the results are satisfactory. Herein is described the operative approach to this procedure.