Intracardiac repair of tetralogy of Fallot in adults.

This study demonstrates that total surgical correction in tetralogy of Fallot is a gratifying procedure even with advancing age especially when one reckons that a great majority of these patients showed pronounced disability at the time of surgery without the benefit of previous palliative procedures. However, there are technical difficulties in accomplishing repair in the fibrotic hearts of older patents. The early mortality and long term benefits in this age group closely parallel those in our over all experience with surgery for this anomaly. There was a 12.5% early and 10% late mortality in this series. Surviving patients have been followed up for a period ranging from 1 to 10 years (mean 18 months) and are found to be leading normal active lives.