Procedures
Fallot Tetralogy Diagnosis If the doctor suspects Fallot tetralogy after birth, he may use several tests to confirm diagnosis, including thorough blood count, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and others. Fallot Tetralogy Treatment Treatment of the condition for the majority of infants involves a surgery known as intracardiac repair.
Self-care
Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is the most common type of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Since the first surgical repair in 1954, treatment has continuously improved. The treatment strategies currently used in the treatment of ToF result in excellent long-term survival (30 year survival ranges from 68.5% to 90.5%).
Is there any natural treatment for Tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the leading cyanotic congenital heart disease ... To review the incidence, pattern, management and treatment outcomes of TOF at the OAUTHC. A retrospective audit was undertaken of hospital records, including echocardiograms ...
What is the survival rate for Tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot must be repaired with open-heart surgery, either soon after birth or later in infancy. The goal of surgery is to repair the four defects of tetralogy of Fallot so the heart can work as normally as possible. Repairing the defects can greatly improve a child's health and quality of life.
What is tetralogy of Fallot and how is it treated?
Does tetralogy of Fallot have a cure?
Can tetralogy of Fallot be repaired?
Tetralogy of Fallot can be corrected with surgery. This is generally done during the first year of life, though occasionally it can be done at an older age.
How long can you live with tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot is a rather common complex cardiac malformation with an incidence of 0.1/1000 live births. Without surgical intervention, patients had a 1 year survival rate of 66%, 49% after 2 years and only 10–15% after more than 20 years [1,2].
Does tetralogy of Fallot go away?
Tetralogy of Fallot is often diagnosed while the baby is an infant or soon after. Sometimes, depending on the severity of the defects and symptoms, tetralogy of Fallot is not detected until adulthood. All babies who have tetralogy of Fallot need corrective surgery.
Is tetralogy of Fallot a serious heart condition?
Because a baby with tetralogy of Fallot may need surgery or other procedures soon after birth, this birth defect is considered a critical congenital heart defect. Congenital means present at birth. This heart defect can cause oxygen in the blood that flows to the rest of the body to be reduced.
What is the survival rate of tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is the most common type of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Since the first surgical repair in 1954, treatment has continuously improved. The treatment strategies currently used in the treatment of ToF result in excellent long-term survival (30 year survival ranges from 68.5% to 90.5%).
What happens after tetralogy of Fallot repair?
An adult with repaired tetralogy of Fallot may have a leaky pulmonary valve (pulmonary valve regurgitation) and may need to have their pulmonary valve eventually replaced. Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias) are common after tetralogy of Fallot repair surgery.
Can people with tetralogy of Fallot have children?
After surgical repair, the majority of young women with TOF could survive into their reproductive age. Without repair, TOF patients rarely reach childbearing age and get pregnant.
What is the most common complication found in patients with tetralogy of Fallot?
Adults with repaired ToF develop late complications, such as progressive exercise intolerance, arrhythmias, and heart failure [4, 6]. These complications are mainly due to pulmonary regurgitation, which leads to right ventricle dysfunction [7].
Can kids with tetralogy of Fallot play sports?
Patients with an excellent repair who have a normal or near-normal RV pressure, no or only mild RV volume overload, no significant residual shunt, and no atrial or ventricular arrhythmias on ambulatory ECG monitoring or exercise testing can participate in all sports of any intensity [11].
Tetralogy of Fallot
Tetralogy (teh-TRAL-o-je) of Fallot (fah-LO) is a congenital heart defect. A congenital heart defect is a problem with the heart's structure that's present at birth. This type of heart defect changes the normal flow of blood through the heart.
What Causes Tetralogy of Fallot?
Doctors don't know what causes most cases of tetralogy of Fallot and other congenital heart defects.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Tetralogy of Fallot?
An important sign of tetralogy of Fallot is cyanosis. Cyanosis is a bluish tint to the skin, lips, and fingernails. Low levels of oxygen in the blood cause cyanosis.
How Is Tetralogy of Fallot Diagnosed?
Doctors diagnose tetralogy of Fallot based on a baby's signs and symptoms, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures.
How Is Tetralogy of Fallot Treated?
Tetralogy of Fallot must be repaired with open-heart surgery, either soon after birth or later in infancy. The goal of surgery is to repair the four defects of tetralogy of Fallot so the heart can work as normally as possible. Repairing the defects can greatly improve a child's health and quality of life.
Living With Tetralogy of Fallot
The outlook for a child born with tetralogy of Fallot is much better today than in the past. Advances in testing and treatment mean that most children who have this congenital heart defect survive to adulthood. However, they need long-term care from specialists to stay as healthy as possible.
Key Points
Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare, complex congenital heart defect. A congenital heart defect is a problem with the heart's structure that's present at birth.
Overview
Tetralogy of Fallot is a heart condition in which a baby is born with four changes in how their heart developed. These issues make it hard for the baby’s heart to send enough oxygen to the entire body.
Symptoms and Causes
Tetralogy of Fallot symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. They usually get worse over time without treatment.
Diagnosis and Tests
Your healthcare provider can diagnose tetralogy of Fallot before or after your baby is born. They usually find it in the first few weeks or months of life.
Management and Treatment
Without tetralogy of Fallot surgery, symptoms usually get worse. Your baby can have surgery soon after birth that will make blood move through the heart the way it should. They can make the pulmonary valve and the path to the pulmonary artery bigger.
Prevention
Although healthcare providers don’t know the cause of tetralogy of Fallot, you may be able to reduce your unborn baby’s risk of tetralogy of Fallot in these ways:
Living With
After tetralogy of Fallot surgery, your child will need regular follow-up appointments with a provider who specializes in children’s hearts. This care will continue into adulthood.
Diagnosis and Tests
This complex set of defects means that the body is in an oxygen crisis. Not enough blood can flow to the pulmonary artery to pick up oxygen, and blood flowing through the aorta to the body is oxygen-poor.
Management and Treatment
There is no medical treatment for tetralogy of Fallot. The structural abnormalities in the heart require surgical correction. In most cases, infants undergo the operation within the first year of life.
Resources
Doctors vary in quality due to differences in training and experience; hospitals differ in the number of services available. The more complex your medical problem, the greater these differences in quality become and the more they matter.
How is Tetralogy of Fallot diagnosed?
In some cases, Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) can be diagnosed prenatally (during pregnancy). After birth, a baby might have a heart murmur, lower levels of oxygen in the blood or an abnormal chest X-ray.
How do doctors treat Tetralogy of Fallot?
Surgery is the only treatment for Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Most children will need to have surgery around 4-8 months of age. Some children need just one surgery. Others might need more than one.
Appointments and Referrals
Request an appointment or second opinion, refer a patient, find a doctor or view test results with MGHfC's secure online services.
What is Tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot is made up of the following four defects of the heart and its blood vessels:
Occurrence
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year about 1,660 babies in the United States are born with tetralogy of Fallot. 1 In other words, about 1 in every 2518 babies born in the United States each year are born with tetratology of Fallot.
Causes and Risk Factors
The causes of heart defects (such as tetralogy of Fallot) among most babies are unknown. Some babies have heart defects because of changes in their genes or chromosomes.
Diagnosis
Tetralogy of Fallot may be diagnosed during pregnancy or soon after a baby is born.
Treatments
Tetralogy of Fallot can be treated by surgery soon after the baby is born. During surgery, doctors widen or replace the pulmonary valve and enlarge the passage to the pulmonary artery. They also will place a patch over the ventricular septal defect to close the hole between the two lower chambers of the heart.
The Role of the Adult Congenital Heart Specialist in TOF
In the past, adults with congenital heart defects like tetralogy of Fallot had two choices for care: Stay in the care of their pediatric cardiologist or transition to a general cardiologist. However, both options present problems. “The congenital cardiac abnormalities are often unfamiliar to the average adult cardiologist,” says Cedars.
Deterioration of Childhood Heart Repairs
Most children born with tetralogy of Fallot are treated with a corrective repair. This repair involves a patch to close the septal defect and enlargement of the pulmonary valve to facilitate blood flow to the lungs. The patch stays in place permanently, though in rare cases it can leak later in life.
Pregnancy and Congenital TOF
When a woman with a congenital heart defect like TOF is ready to have children, it’s extremely important to monitor her closely. Pregnancy, labor and delivery can put a dangerous amount of strain on an already compromised heart.
Acquired Heart Conditions and TOF
A variety of heart conditions can develop as adults age, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. When someone has a preexisting congenital heart defect like TOF, it is especially important to monitor and treat these conditions.
Tips for Long-Term Management of Congenital TOF in Adults
Cedars recommends scheduling at least one consultation with the nearest adult congenital cardiologist, even if it means traveling. That doctor can coordinate monitoring and care with your regular cardiologist at home. Cedars also encourages adults with TOF to get annual echocardiograms, regardless of whether they’re experiencing problems.
Diagnosis
Clinical Trials
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
Coping and Support
Specialist to consult
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Usually, tetralogy of Fallot is diagnosed soon after birth. Your baby's skin may appear blue. A doctor might hear an abnormal whooshing sound (heart murmur) when listening to the baby's heart with a stethoscope. Tests to diagnose tetralogy of Fallot include: 1. Oxygen level measure…