General Information About Tetralogy of Fallot
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is a fourfold heart anomaly that occurs in the heart's structure while the baby is developing in the womb, which prevents blood from going to the lungs to be oxygenated and causes deoxygenated blood to be pumped into the body.
1- A hole between the lower chambers (Ventricular Septal Defect or VSD), 2- Narrowing of the pulmonary valve and main pulmonary artery (Pulmonary stenosis), 3- The aortic valve is enlarged and seems to open from both ventricles (Overriding aorta), 4- Excessive thickening of the muscular wall of the right ventricle (Right ventricular hypertrophy).
Because not enough blood can reach the lungs, oxygen-poor (deoxygenated) blood is constantly pumped into the body. Due to the lack of oxygen, the baby's lips, tongue, and fingertips take on a noticeable purple/blue color (cyanosis).
When the child cries, feeds, or is agitated, the heart's need for oxygen suddenly increases, and the blueness becomes very severe. The baby may gasp for air and even lose consciousness. Older children try to find relief when a spell comes on by pulling their knees to their chest (squatting).
It is suspected when a loud heart murmur is heard and blueness is observed upon the baby's birth. With a Pediatric Echocardiogram (Heart Ultrasound), the four anatomical defects in the heart are instantly and definitively seen.
Surgical intervention is absolutely mandatory for long-term survival. With an Open Heart Surgery typically performed when the baby is between 6 months and 1 year old, the hole in the heart is closed with a patch, the pulmonary artery is widened, and the heart's anatomy is completely restored to normal.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
