title: Classic shunting operations as part of two-stage repair for tetralogy of Fallot.
abstract: One hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot, with or without pulmonary atresia, underwent Blalock-Taussig or Waterston operation for initial palliation. Of these patients, 45 were less than 6 months old, and 63 were less than 1 year old. The type of shunt, and the presence or absence of pulmonary atresia did not have a significant effect (p greater than 0.2) on hospital mortality. Parametric analysis showed a significant effect of age (p = 0.03), the risk of hospital death being 6% at 1 month of age, 4% at 3 months, 3% at 6 months, and 2.5% at 12 months. No late deaths occurred before the age of 3 years. Six patients (4.2% of the hospital survivors) required another operation before they were 3 years old. Severe arm ischemia occurred after a Blalock-Taussig shunt in 1 infant with Down's syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008722:Methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D012306:Risk; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*