[Tricuspid surgery and tetralogy of Fallot. Observations apropos of 14 case reports]

14 patients underwent tricuspid surgery after radical surgery of tetralogy of Fallot using cardiopulmonary bypass. This series represents 11.5% of all patients with tetralogy of Fallot who were operated on during the same period (1970-1982). Two different pictures were seen: tricuspid pathology may be coincident with tetralogy of Fallot, with surgical repair being done during the same procedure; it may be discovered later on, resulting from trauma of the tricuspid valves, an overlooked valvular malformation, or a residual or recurrent ventricular septal defect. As tolerance is poor because of postoperative right ventricular insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency must be promptly diagnosed and cured, either during radical surgery of the tetralogy of Fallot or as soon as it becomes clinically patent in the postoperative course.