[Clinical evaluation of the heart function early after repair of tetralogy of Fallot: follow-up of 43 patients].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the heart function of the patients early after the repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

METHODS

Forty-three patients with TOF, 25 males and 18 females, underwent operation at the age of 2.5 - 52 years (16.7 years on average) and were followed up for 1 - 3.5 years. Twenty-one age-matched healthy persons were used as controls. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) was used to measure the values of the peak tricuspid ring velocity during early diastole (Ea), late diastole (Aa), systole, and isovolumic contraction, and isovolumetric contraction acceleration (IVA); and isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), and isovolumetric contraction velocity (IVV) of the right ventricle. Tei index was calculated using the formula: (ICT + IRT)/ET. Treadmill test was used on the patients aged > 17 to measure the maximal heart rate maximal blood pressure, maximal exercise tolerance (MET), and movement time.

RESULTS

The peak tricuspid ring velocity during Ea of the repaired TOF group (rTOF group) was 11.5 +/- 2.6 cm/s, significantly lower than that of the control group (17.1 +/- 2.4 cm/s, P < 0.0001), the peak tricuspid ring velocity during Aa of the rTOF group was 9.6 +/- 1.7 cm/s, significantly lower than that of the control group (12.9 +/- 2.9 cm/s, P < 0.001), the E/A of the rTOF group was 1.16 +/- 0.36, significantly lower than that of the control group (1.36 +/- 0.26, P < 0.05). The IVV of the rTOF group was 7.7 +/- 1.8 cm/s, significantly lower than that of the control group (9.9 +/- 1.4 cm/s, P = 0.0030, and the IVA of the rTOF group was 131.7 +/- 37.6 cm/s(2), significantly lower than that of the control group (222.5 +/- 39.2 cm/s(2), P < 0.001). The Tei index of the rTOF group was 0.58 +/- 0.11, significantly higher than that of the control group (0.52 +/- 0.04, P = 0.029). The maximal heart rate maximal blood pressure, MET, and movement time of the rTOF group were all significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The heart function of the patients undergoing repair of TOF fails to recover to the normal level during a short time after the surgery.