Tetralogy of Fallot
Tetralogy of Fallot falls under the category of cyanotic heart diseases, and it is one of the rare congenital defects that affect the heart. This condition leads to mixing of oxygen-rich (oxygenated) blood with oxygen-poor (deoxygenated) blood, attributed to four fundamental defects: overriding aorta, pulmonary valve stenosis, ventricular septal defect, and right ventricular hypertrophy. This results in the failure of organs and body systems to perform their physiological functions, leading to the emergence of many negative symptoms. Tetralogy of Fallot is often diagnosed in the early stages of a child's life, although sometimes the diagnosis is delayed until advanced ages, depending on the appearance of accompanying symptoms.
What are the treatment options for Tetralogy of Fallot?
Below is an overview of treatment options for Tetralogy of Fallot:
- Surgical intervention: Surgical intervention is at the forefront of methods for treating Tetralogy of Fallot. The nature of the defect determines the type of surgical intervention. It is preferable for surgical intervention to be performed in childhood. The details of the surgery vary depending on the defects the patient is suffering from. Surgeons patch the defective portion in the ventricular septum and close the septal defect between the ventricles. If there is a defect in the pulmonary valve, it can be enlarged, and if there is a deformity, it can be replaced. Then, blood flows through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. If there is right ventricular hypertrophy, it will return to its normal size after surgery, due to the normal activity of the heart muscle.
- Temporary palliative surgery: Some doctors prefer to perform temporary palliative surgery in early stages of life. Through this, a shunt is created to one of the major arteries branching from the pulmonary or aortic artery. In subsequent stages, when the child grows, the shunt can be removed, and an open-heart surgery can be performed to address the defects radically.
