J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 89(8): 1273-1278, 1988

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Original article

RISK SCORES FOR VENTRICULAR PREMATURE CONTRACTION AND EXERCISE―PERFORMANCE AFTER REPAIR OF TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Thirty-five patients with tetralogy of Fallot(TF), were studied for the postoperative factors which might have some effect on the presence and severity of ventricular premature contraction (VPC) and exercise performance (EP). Using the factors, we tried to make VPC- and EP-scores.
Of the 35 patients, 12 (34%) showed VPCs of Lown's grade 2 or higher (group B) and 23 (66%) were free from significant VPCs (group A). Group B patients were found to have significantly higher postoperative right to left ventricular peak systolic pressure ratios (RV/LV) and higher right ventricular peak systolic pressures (RVp) than those of group A. The right ventricular regional wall motion (RVRWM) in the right ventricular outflow tracts of group B patients showed akinetic or paradoxical movements.
VPC-scores using RV/LV, RVp and RVRWM showed that 11 patients, whose score were 0, were free from significant VPCs and showed that 6 of 7 patients (86%), whose score were 3, demonstrated significant VPCs.
It was shown that RV/LV, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), CTR and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) affected the exercise tolerance. In the case of EP-scores, using RV/LV, LVEF, CTR and PR, the endurance times of the patients who had higher scores seemed to be shorter.
VPC- and EP-scores as a tool for predicting the presence of VPCs and the level of exercise performance seem to be quite useful.

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