Surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot in symptomatic neonates and young infants.

Objectives: Optimal management of tetralogy of Fallot in symptomatic neonates and young infants remains controversial.

Methods: A retrospective review of 53 patients (26 male) with symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot who underwent primary repair (group 1, n = 22) or initial palliation (group 2, n = 31) within 2 months (60 days) after birth between 2005 and 2018 was performed. Subsequent repairs were performed in 29 patients at postpalliation 7.1 months in group 2 except for 2 interstage mortalities. Optimal early outcome was defined as no significant pulmonary stenosis or significant pulmonary regurgitation, and no reintervention within 12 months after repair.

Results: In group 2, median Z-score of the pulmonary valve annulus and McGoon ratio increased after palliation from -3.52 to -2.95 (P = .074) and from 1.31 to 1.93 (P < .001), respectively. Pulmonary annulus preservation at repair and optimal early outcome were achieved in 38 patients (17/22, 77%, group 1; 21/29, 72%, group 2) and 26 patients (12/22, 55%, group 1; 14/29, 48%, group 2), respectively. On logistic regression analysis, initial Z-score of the pulmonary valve annulus was the only predictor of annulus preservation at repair (odds ratio, 1.715, P = .0204) and optimal early outcome (odds ratio, 1.583, P = .0259). The annulus preservation probability curve according to the initial postnatal Z-score of the pulmonary valve annulus of all patients with repair (n = 51) showed an annulus preservation probability less than 70% in 3 patients (3/22) in group 1 and greater than 85% in 8 patients (8/29) in group 2, signifying that the alternative strategy might have been beneficial for each subset.

Conclusions: The surgical strategy for symptomatic tetralogy of Fallot should be individualized according to the initial size of the pulmonary valve annulus.