Tetralogy of Fallot Repair

Tetralogy of Fallot occurs in children born with four heart problems:

• Pulmonary stenosis (a narrowing of the blood vessel to the lungs)
• Overriding aorta (the main blood vessel from the heart to the entire body is somewhat displaced)
• A ventricular septal defect (hole in the wall between the lower two chambers of the heart)
• Right ventricular hypertrophy (a thick muscle in the right pumping chamber)

This is the most common form of cyanotic heart defects, more commonly known as “blue babies.” Cardiac surgeons perform primary total repair in most children. Occasionally, if a baby is very blue at birth but is at low birth weight or has very small pulmonary arteries, the surgeon may perform a temporary shunt procedure until the child has grown enough for a total repair.