[Late results after open repair of tetralogy of Fallot: a 13-24 year follow-up].

Late results in 139 patients undergoing open repair of tetralogy of Fallot from 1965 to December 1975 were analyzed. Their ages ranged from 1 year to 35 years. All patients were repaired through a right ventricular approach. One hundred two patients had infundibulectomy alone (non-patch group) and 14 required right ventricular outflow patch (RV-patch group) and 23 trans-annular patch. The hospital mortality rate was 18.7% (26 cases) and 103 patients were discharged and have been followed until death or for 13-24 years. Cardiac catheterizations were performed in 80 patients an average of 1.8 years after correction. Right ventricular systolic pressure was 49.8 +/- 22.4 mmHg in non-patch group, 41 +/- 16.5 mmHg in RV-patch group and 54.5 +/- 14.2 mmHg in PA-patch group. Seven in 11 patients of PA-patch group had over an 8 mmHg of right ventricular end diastolic pressure. Six patients died during the follow up: four deaths in the first 5 years, 2 between 5 and 15 years. The causes of death were congestive heart failure (3), sudden (1), pneumonia (1) and accidental (1). Late complications were 3 arrhythmias and 2 reoperations. Event free rate at 24 years was 74.8 +/- 3.8%.