Longevity and the Early History of the Tetralogy of Fallot

Longevity in the Tetralogy of Fallot

“…Attempts to find the cause of long survival in individual cases have been unsatisfactory. The lack of symptoms, but not the prolonged survival, in our case may be related to the mildness of the pulmonary stenosis: further support for this view is provided by three patients (Bain, 1954;Marquis, 1956;Miller, 1952) with lumina of pulmonary outflow tracts only half the size of that of our patient; they all survived to the age of 55 years or more. In a man of 44 (Baiguena and Tormo, 1951) a patent ductus arteriosus (because of the co-existence of pulmonary artery atresia) explained survival, but not why it was prolonged.…”

Tetralogy of Fallot in teenagers and adults: surgical experience and follow-up

“…3,12 Adult TOF forms a special subset of patients with chronic sequelae due to cyanosis. 13 Death commonly results from CCF due to secondary cardiomyopathy that results from right ventricular pressure overload plus chronic hypoxia and polycythemia.…”

“…1,2 However, complications such as hemoptysis, cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs), cerebral abscesses, hypoxemia, cardiomyopathy, infective endocarditis, and renal failure occur with increasing age. 3 Although the presentation of TOF in adults is becoming a rarity in the Western world, it is not uncommon in Third World countries. 4 moderate hypothermia: antegrade modifi ed cold blood cardioplegia and topical ice slush.…”

Early results after transatrial repair of RVOT obstruction including teratology of fallot

“…The cardinal features were ventricular septal defect, subpulmonary stenosis, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. 2 However, combination of these abnormalities had been recognized long before Fallot. In fact Niels Stensen, the Danish monk is also held to have described the condition that we now call tetralogy of Fallot.…”