[Tetralogy of Fallot: results of 77 hemodynamic controls after complete correction]

77 patients (representing 91% of all survivors) underwent catheterization within 5 months of surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot. The data show that residual pulmonary gradient is significantly higher in patients with infundibular and valvular stenoses than in patients with infundibular stenoses only, whereas the method of intracardiac repair (patch) had no influence on residual gradient. Significant pulmonary insufficiency was found almost exclusively when a patch was extended through the pulmonary annulus. Hemodynamic results were excellent in 37% of cases, good in 51%, satisfactory in 3% and unsatisfactory in 9%. Finally, primary intracardiac repair in children below 4 years of age yielded excellent or good results in all cases: this suggests that toal correction should be performed without previous aorto-pulmonary anastomoses in this youngest group of patients.