[Pregnancy and tetralogy of Fallot with and without surgical correction]

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital cardiac lesions. Although pregnancy in patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot usually have a satisfactory outcome, there may have maternal cardiovascular complications.

To report our experience in monitoring and treatment of 16 pregnancies in 14 women with tetralogy of Fallot.

Prospective study performed in 16 pregnancies of 14 patients with tetralogy of Fallot, who attended the services of Cardiology and High Risk Pregnancy in the Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia of the Centro Médico de Occidente (Mexico), from January 1997 to January 2010. Nine women had total surgical correction and five hadn't. All patients obtained complete study protocol and tests of fetal wellbeing.

Hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in the group without surgical correction; this group also had lower oxygen saturation and right ventricular enlargement. Of the 16 pregnancies, five were resolved vaginally, the other by cesarean section. The cyanotic mothers had premature termination of pregnancy, lower birth weight and Apgar slightly deteriorated. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths, neither cardiac malformation in newborns.

There are more risks for the binomial in patients with uncorrected tetralogy of Fallot and in those operated with significant residual lesions. A greater anatomical impact was significantly correlated with major hemoglobin and minor oxygen saturation, which are the most important risk factors for adverse fetal outcomes.