Incidence and severity of ventricular arrhythmia in patients after repair of tetralogy of fallot.

Abstract
To evaluate the incidence and severity of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in a large group of patients who underwent corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TF) more than 4 years previously (mean age at surgery: 6 years 5 months), cardiac catheterization and cineangiography as well as 24 hour ambulatory Holter electrocardiography (HE) were performed in 45 patients. Fifteen (33%) of the 45 patients had VA of Lown grade 2 or greater. Patients with VA (group I) were found to be significantly older at surgery than patients without VA (group II) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the ratio of postoperative right and left ventricular systolic pressures (RVSP/LVSP), and also right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) between the 2 groups. As far as we know, none of our patients has suffered a sudden late death after repair of TF. Still, the overall incidence of VA was significantly high.

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