[Results of surgical treatment of Fallot's disease during a 5-year period (1986-1990)]

The authors treated in the Centre for cardiovascular and transplantation surgery in Brno between January 1986 and September 1990 84 children with the tetralogy of Fallot. In 77 children a radical correction was made, in 7 children a modified B-T anastomosis was established. Soon after the radical operation four children died (5.1%), soon after the palliative operation 2 children (28%). When selecting the type of surgery the authors take into account the clinical status of the child, the frequency of hypoxic episodes and anatomical conditions of the heart. In the authors opinion the optimal time for operation is toddler and preschool age. For diagnosis of the defect and postoperative evaluation in the majority of patients echocardiographic examination suffices, in extreme forms of the defect with associated defects and in patients where examination is difficult catheterization of the heart is necessary. In children before radical surgery selective coronagraphy is performed. In 87% of radically operated children the haemodynamic results are very good, 5% of the children have a medium severe residual defect and 3% of the children must undergo another operation.