• Olivier Ghez, Victor T Tsang, Alessandra Frigiola, Louise Coats, Andrew Taylor, Carin Van Doorn, Philip Bonhoeffer, and Marc De Leval.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, The Heart Hospital, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
• Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2007 Apr 1;31(4):654-8.

BackgroundPulmonary regurgitation after tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) repair is associated with right ventricular dilatation, failure and arrhythmia. Timing and technique for re-intervention remain controversial.MethodsOur recent approach is to reconstruct the dilated right ventricle outflow tract (RVOT) as a fibro-muscular sleeve to support a pulmonary homograft valve conduit in orthotopic position. Indication is based on clinical and magnetic resonance (MR) criteria. We reviewed all patients who underwent RVOT reconstruction between January 2004 and February 2005. There were seven children (mean age 14+/-2 years) operated 13+/-2 years after ToF repair, and 12 adults (mean age 30+/-15 years) operated 23+/-10 years after ToF repair. Exercise testing and MR evaluation prior to surgery and at 1 year postoperative follow-up were compared.ResultsThere was no operative mortality. At 1 year, pulmonary regurgitation was mild or less in 16/19 patients. Right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic (158+/-51 to 103+/-36ml/m(2), p<0.001) and end-systolic volumes (85+/-42 to 49+/-24ml/m(2), p=0.001) fell significantly. Importantly, effective RV stroke volume (43+/-10 to 48+/-7ml/m(2), p=0.019) and left ventricular (LV) stroke volume (43+/-7 to 47+/-7ml/m(2), p=0.009) increased significantly. The mean RV/LV end-diastolic volume ratio fell markedly in both children and adults (2.22+/-0.62 to 1.38+/-0.52). However, no improvement in maximal VO(2) on exercise was noted in either group.ConclusionsRVOT reconstruction restored valve function, improved RV dimensions and left and right stroke volumes. Maximal exercise capacity did not improve in either children or adults.

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