Key result
Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot is linked to impaired exercise tolerance and lower peak hemodynamics.
Why the study?
Does surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot affect exercise performance in young patients compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control (n=36)
No
Does surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot affect exercise performance in young patients compared to healthy controls?
Young patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot have slightly impaired exercise tolerance on short-term follow-up, particularly those with prior aortopulmonary shunts.
Impaired exercise tolerance after Tetralogy of Fallot repair may warrant monitoring; hypothesis-generating for shunt effects and needs prospective validation.
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease. The aim of this study was to examine the exercise performance of young patients following the repair of TOF and to assess the influence of different variables related to the surgical repair on exercise testing. This study was conducted on 21 patients (16 males and 5 females) operated on for TOF compared to 15 healthy age- and sex-matched control children. The patients' median age at time of the study was 8 years (range 5-13 years) while age at surgical repair was 5 ± 2.1 years (range 2-10 years). Patients were subjected to 2D and color Doppler echocardiographic examination. Treadmill exercise stress testing was performed for all subjects according to modified Bruce protocol. The resting ECGs of all patients revealed normal sinus rhythm and RBBB. Cases had lower exercise capacity when compared to control subjects and those with aortopulmonary shunt showed significantly lower exercise performance when compared to those without aortopulmonary shunt. In conclusions, exercise tolerance after total correction of TOF is slightly impaired on short-term followup with more affection among patients with previous aortopulmonary shunts. The present study did not reveal any serious ventricular arrhythmia.
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Kotby et al. (2012) conducted a case-control in Tetralogy of Fallot (n=36). Surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot vs. Healthy age- and sex-matched children was evaluated on Exercise tolerance metrics (max SBP, max HR, max METs, and % of METs) (p=<0.05). Patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot had slightly impaired exercise tolerance, demonstrating significantly lower maximum systolic blood pressure, maximum heart rate, and maximum METs compared to healthy controls.
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