[Early and late results following total correction of Fallot's tetralogy in childhood].

127 patients aged 0.9 to 18 years (mean 4.0 +/- 2.6 years) underwent total correction for Fallot's tetralogy from March 1975 to November 1989. 118 survivors (early mortality 7.0%) were reinvestigated between 0.2 and 15.3 years (mean 5.1 +/- 4.1 years) after operation by means of clinical investigation, ECG, X-ray, echocardiography (98%) and by recatheterization (48%). 97% are in NYHA-class I and only 3% are in NYHA-class II. Continuous wave (CW)-Doppler and colour-coded Doppler echocardiography allows good localization and evaluation of residual defects and gradients on CW-Doppler investigation correlate well with those measured at recatheterization. 38% of all patients have an enlarged heart and 95% show intraventricular conduction disturbances on ECG with 18% of bifascicular and 3% of trifascicular block. 2 patients need a permanent pace-maker. 10 patients (8.4%) underwent reoperation for residual lesions. 3 patients died late, 2 of which were due to cardiac causes.