Why are babies born with Tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot (pronounced te-tral-uh-jee of Fal-oh) is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. It happens when a baby’s heart does not form correctly as the baby grows and develops in the mother’s womb during pregnancy.
Who performed the first tetralogy of Fallot surgery?
Thus, on November 29, 1944, Alfred Blalock performed the first operation on a cyanotic child aged one year with tetralogy of Fallot.
What is the life expectancy of someone born 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].
What are the four malformations causing Tetralogy of Fallot?
Tetralogy of Fallot is a heart defect made up of four different heart problems: ventricular septal defect, overriding aorta, pulmonary stenosis and right ventricular hypertrophy. These problems result in cyanotic, or blue, skin on babies because of a lack of oxygen.
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 curable?
Most children with tetralogy of Fallot will need surgery to fix the heart problems, and the surgery is usually performed before a baby is 1 year old. Tetralogy of Fallot can cause problems if the heart is not fixed, however, corrective surgery performed in childhood for tetralogy of Fallot does not cure the condition.
Can babies live with tetralogy of Fallot?
Most children who have had a tetralogy of Fallot surgical repair will live healthy lives. Activity levels, appetite and growth will eventually return to normal in most children. Your child’s cardiologist may recommend that antibiotics be given to prevent bacterial endocarditis after discharge from the hospital.
Is tetralogy of Fallot serious?
People with untreated tetralogy of Fallot usually develop severe complications over time, which might result in death or disability by early adulthood.
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.
Is tetralogy of Fallot genetic?
For the majority of individuals with tetralogy of Fallot, there has been no identified genetic cause. Some individuals may have other birth defects and/or health issues, in addition to TOF, that may be part of a genetic syndrome.
Can tetralogy of Fallot cause death?
Background: Sudden cardiac death remains the most common cause of death after repair of tetralogy of Fallot. It has been suggested that sudden cardiac death is related to right ventricular hypertrophy or dilation.
Can tetralogy of Fallot be cured?
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.
What is tetralogy of Fallot in babies?
Infants with tetralogy of Fallot can have a bluish-looking skin color―called cyanosis―because their blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen. At birth, infants might not have blue-looking skin, but later might develop sudden episodes of bluish skin during crying or feeding. These episodes are called tet spells.
What are other heart defects associated with Tetralogy of Fallot?
Some children or adults who have tetralogy of Fallot may have other heart defects, such as a hole between the heart’s upper chambers (atrial septal defect), a right aortic arch or abnormalities of the coronary arteries.
Does my child need follow-up after tetralogy of Fallot repair?
If your child has had tetralogy of Fallot repaired, he or she will need regular follow-up with a pediatric cardiologist. As an adult, your child will need lifelong regular follow-up with a cardiologist who’s had special training in congenital heart defects.
What is tetralogy of Fallot (top)?
In a child with tetralogy of Fallot, blood can travel across the hole (VSD) from the right pumping chamber (right ventricle) to the left pumping chamber (left ventricle) and out into the body artery (aorta).