[Prognosis in tetralogy of Fallot]

We review here our results in the management of 314 patients with tetralogy of Fallot. These cases represent 13.5% of the congenital heart defects diagnosed by angiohemodynamic methods in the period 1971-1988. Of the 314 children, 234 were subjected to intracardiac repair. The overall mortality was 25.8%. The surgical mortality rate for the intracardiac repair was above 30% in the period 1972-1979, and decreased to nearly 10% afterwards. The 7-year survival was 70% for the entire cohort, 76.3% for the children subjected to complete correction, and 90% for children operated after 1983. Residual hemodynamic abnormalities and dysrhythmias were uncommon in this series. Our results favour primary repair of the defect in practically all patients.