OBJECTIVE:
To compare echocardiographic findings before and after surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot.
METHODS:
The interventional study was conducted in Ali-ebne-Abitaleb Hospital, Zahedan, Iran, from September 2008 to March 2010, and comprised patients undergoing surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot. Physical examination, chest radiography and electrocardiography were done before echocardiography. Data were analysed by using SPSS 20.
RESULTS:
Of the 30 patients, 10(33.3%) were girls and 20(66.6%) boys, with an overall pre-surgery mean age of 47.40±21.34 months and 74.46±20.63 months post-surgery (p=0.001). The mean duration of post-operative period was 37.86±18.27 months. The results for right heart showed that Z scores for peak E velocity, peak A velocity, pre-ejection period, isovolumic relaxation time, myocardial performance index and isovolumic contraction time were significantly different (p<0.05). In the left heart, aortic, left atrium, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, deceleration time, Peak E velocity/Peak A velocity, Peak E velocity, Peak A velocity, pre-ejection period/ejection time, pre-ejection period, shortening fraction and ejection fraction had significant difference (p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Right ventricular performance indices can serve as valuable parameters in assessing cardiac performance.
