Ventricular arrhythmia and tetralogy of Fallot repair with transannular patch.
OBJECTIVE
Life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden death remain to be serious late complications after correction of tetralogy of Fallot. The aim of this study was to detect ventricular arrhythmia incidence and to find out the relationship between ventricular arrhythmia and the transannular and infundibular patch repair techniques to correct tetralogy of Fallot. That is still unpredictable exactly.


METHODS
Thirty-nine patients with mean age of 12.1+/-3.1 years were studied prospectively for 7.1+/-2.1 years after operation. They were all investigated with electrocardiography, echocardiography, treadmill and Holter monitorization. Right ventricular functions, exercise capacity and arrhythmia patterns were assessed. Lown criteria were used for grading the arrhythmia patterns. QRS duration, QT dispersion and QT dispersion indexes were calculated.


RESULTS
Follow up time was 5 to 13 years in both groups. All QT dispersion times and indexes were within normal ranges and there were no differences between two groups. Holter and treadmill studies did not reveal during any ventricular arrhythmia risk in the study and control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Seven years of follow-up after correction of tetralogy of Fallot revealed that transannular patch reconstruction is not a cause of tendency for ventricular arrhythmia according to Lown criteria, QT dispersion, QT dispersion indexes and QRS duration do support the results of previous studies.
Ozkan
Süleyman
S
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Başkent University, 06490 Bahçelievler, Ankara Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. sozkan11@hotmail.com
Akay
Tankut
T
Gültekin
Bahadir
B
Varan
Birgül
B
Tokel
Kurşat
K
Aşlamaci
Sait
S
D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*