Description

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) consists of four defects:
• A hole (ventricular septal defect) between the two lower heart chambers (ventricles)
• Obstruction from the right ventricle to the lung caused by thick muscles (infundibular stenosis) and/or narrowing of the pulmonary valve (pulmonary stenosis)
• The aorta, which is the major artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to the body, lies over the ventricular septal defect (overriding aorta)
• The muscle of the right ventricle becomes thick (right ventricular hypertrophy)

Babies with TOF may need a procedure to temporarily increase blood flow to the lung (Blalock-Taussig shunt).

Total surgical repair will be done later when the baby is older. In adulthood, there may be residual obstruction from the thick muscle in the right heart chambers or from narrowed pulmonary valve. Sometimes, the pulmonary valve may become leaky (does not close properly) after the initial childhood repair. Thus, further operation (pulmonary valve replacement) may be necessary during adulthood.