Tetralogy of Fallot Outcomes

Parents can use these charts to compare outcomes (what happens later on in life after surgery) of different techniques or different centers.

A common type of congenital heart disease (CHD), Tetralogy of Fallot has four major features:

a hole between two chambers of the heart (ventricular septal defect or VSD),
obstruction of blood flow to the lungs (right ventricular outflow tract obstruction or RVOTO),
a misplaced aorta that sits on top of the VSD (an overriding aorta), and
thickening of the right pumping chamber of the heart (ventricular hypertrophy).

This graph shows survival chances after getting a Tetralogy of Fallot repair. The arrow at 10 years indicates that 95% of patients will survive 10 years after their repair. Similarly, the arrow at 15 years indicates that 90% of patients are expected to survive 15 years after the repair.

Thanks to years of effort by researchers and cardiac surgeons, modern surgical techniques to repair Tetralogy of Fallot have advanced in recent decades to the point where mortality rates are greatly improved compared to the first inception of the operation. According to prior research, long-term mortality rates for individuals who have received an operation to repair congenital Tetralogy of Fallot have been reported to be between 70% and 90% long-term. At Children’s National, we are proud to report a rate of over 90%.

Chart showing proportion of surviving patients after tetralogy of fallout procedure — To view a larger version, right-click and choose "open in new tab."

This graph shows how likely it is to need any type of reoperation after getting a Tetralogy of Fallot repair. The arrow at 10 years indicates that 85% of patients won’t need a reoperation 10 years after their repair. Similarly, the arrow at 15 years indicates the same concept for 71% of patients.

While long term survival rates for Tetralogy of Fallot are quite strong, there is still a considerable risk for reoperations after the repair later in life. Indications for reoperation in individuals who were born with Tetralogy of Fallot include a blockage in the pathway leading from the right pumping chamber of the heart to the lung (right ventricular outflow tract obstructions), an increase in the size of the right pumping chamber of the heart (right ventricle dilation), and a narrowing of the blood vessel that carries blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs (pulmonary stenosis). With the aid of follow up visits with cardiologists, Children’s National can identify if and when surgical intervention will be needed again to treat these later-in-life occurrences stemming from congenital Tetralogy of Fallot.

Chart showing the proportion of patients without reoperation after tertiary of fallout repair

How to Read and Interpret These Numbers

The goal of these graphs is to predict what can happen in more than 10 years. To do so, we look at all the data and information we receive for every single patient that we have operated on.

Tetralogy of Fallot Outcomes

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How to Read and Interpret These Numbers