OBJECTIVES: Our study is a population-based evaluation of the long-term results after surgical repair for @entity215 ( @entity215 ). All @entity1 operated on in the country since the first procedure were identified via the Finnish research database of paediatric cardiac surgery and the Finnish population register. The follow-up was 99% completed due to comprehensive coverage of the registers. METHODS: The Finnish research database of paediatric cardiac surgery, surgical logs, diagnosis cards and computer files of the hospitals were used for data collection. The Finnish Population Register Center was used to obtain current @entity1 status and dates of @entity204 and emigration. RESULTS: A total of 600 @entity1 underwent surgical repair of @entity215 before the age of 15 years during the 46-year period from 1962 to 2007. The mean follow-up time was 23    12.1 years; 513 (85%) @entity1 were alive and living in Finland, 82 (14%) had died and 5 @entity1 were lost to the follow-up (0.8%). A total of 40 @entity1 (7%) died early ( <=30 days) and 42 (7%) died late (>30 days) after the surgical correction. During the last two decades the early mortality rate was 1.5% and no early deaths were observed after the year 2000. A transannular patch (TAP) was used in the reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract in 191 (32%) of these @entity1 and had no influence on late mortality but the event-free survival was significantly inferior in these @entity1 . If a primary palliation was performed before the correction, the late survival was significantly inferior when compared with @entity1 without initial palliation. Also reoperation was more common in @entity1 with primary palliation. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term prognosis of surgically corrected @entity215 @entity1 is good and has improved with each decade since the beginning of @entity215 surgery in Finland. Primary repair of @entity215 predicts a lower mortality rate and longer freedom from reoperation when compared with two-stage repair. Need of a TAP in @entity215 surgery carries a higher risk of reoperation but has no impact on late survival.

Need of transannular patch in XXXX surgery carries a higher risk of reoperation but has no impact on late survival: results of Fallot repair in Finland.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity215 :: ('MESH:D013771', 'Disease') :: ['TOF', 'tetralogy of Fallot'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['death']
@entity215 :: (MESH:D013771,Disease) :: ['tetralogy of Fallot']
