1 Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
Since September 1946, surgical relief for tetralogy of Fallot or tricuspid atresia has been performed in 234 instances. During this period an anastomosis has been created in 24 infants under 1 year of age. Pulmonary atresia prevented an anastomosis in two additional infants. In those children in whom an anastomosis was possible, the mortality was 33.3% under 1 year of age as compared to an over-all mortality of 9.8%, with a mortality of only 2.9% between the ages of 3 and 16 years.
The reasons for this higher mortality in infants are explained and surgical relief in selected cases is recommended.
Submitted on July 23, 1950