title: Long-term results of surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The long-term results of patients with tetralogy of Fallot surgically treated in adulthood were evaluated to define the real benefit of surgical correction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 1990 and February 2004, 57 patients older than 18 years of age with tetralogy of Fallot received total correction. Forty-two patients (73.7 %) required transannular patch.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospital and late mortality were 7.0 % (n = 4) and 5.7 % (n = 3), respectively. One patient was reoperated on to close residual ventricular septal defect. Four patients were lost. Of the remaining 49 patients, the mean follow-up was 65 +/- 38 months (range 11 - 173 months). Actuarial survival was 97.4 +/- 2.5 %, 91 +/- 7 % and 72.8 +/- 17.1 % at 5, 10 and 14 years, respectively. At the latest follow-up, 35 (76.1 %) of the surviving patients presently have NYHA functional class I ( P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall survival of surgically treated adult patients with tetralogy of Fallot is acceptable. The greatest benefit of total correction at this age is the functional improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, WenHuaXi Road 10, Jinan 250012, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D012107:Research Design; D013318:Stroke Volume; D015996:Survival Rate; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016276:Ventricular Function