Health-related quality of life and right ventricular function in the midterm follow-up assessment after tetralogy of fallot repair.
BACKGROUND
Few data are available on quality of life after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), and on its relationship to right ventricle function.


METHODS
Patients with at least 1 year of follow-up evaluation after surgery were studied. Right ventricle function was evaluated by the Doppler-derived myocardial performance index (MPI), and health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed by the Child Health Questionnaire, Parent Form-50. Findings were compared with those for an age- and sex-matched group of healthy children.


RESULTS
The study enrolled 35 successfully repaired ToF patients with 4.9 years (range, 3-7 years) of follow-up evaluation after surgery and 36 healthy children. The MPI demonstrated right ventricle dysfunction in patients compared with controls (0.34; range, 0.26-0.49 vs 0.2; range, 0.13-0.27; p < 0.01), although HRQL for the psychosocial domain was similar between patients and healthy children (summary score, 47.9; range, 45-52 vs 47.5; range, 44.5-50; p = 0.17). A trend for poorer physical area results was observed in patients (summary score, 44; range, 31-52 vs 48.5; range, 45.7-51.7; p = 0.06). Neither physical nor psychosocial summary scores for HRQL had any correlation with right ventricle MPI.


CONCLUSIONS
Right ventricle dysfunction is present in postoperative ToF patients. The psychosocial domain of HRQL is preserved after surgery. A trend for worse results was observed in the physical domain. The right ventricle function is not related to quality of life after surgical repair of ToF.
Pilla
C B
CB
Pediatric Cardiology, Intensive Care, and Cardiac Surgery Departments, Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio, Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, Av Independência, 155, 90035-074, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. cbpilla@hotmail.com
Pereira
C A
CA
Fin
A V
AV
Aquino
F V
FV
Botta
A
A
DalleMulle
L
L
Ricachinevsky
C P
CP
Nogueira
A J
AJ
Lucchese
F A
FA
Rohde
L E
LE
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*