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Tetralogy of Fallot
- Days In Hospital 5 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 15 days
- Success Rate 75%
Minimum Cost
$ 5500
Maximum Cost.
$ 7500
Overview of Tetralogy of Fallot in India
Tetralogy of Fallot (teh-TRAL-uh-jee of fuh-LOW) is a rare heart condition that is present at birth and is considered to be a congenital heart defect. There are four different problems in the heart of a baby who has this condition.
The problems caused by this condition directly affect the structure of the heart, and as a result, the blood flow through the heart and to the other parts of the body becomes abnormal (this is the major problem for all people with tetralogy of Fallot). As a result of the low amount of oxygen in their body, many babies with tetralogy of Fallot have a blue or grey appearance to their skin.
Tetralogy of Fallot can be diagnosed while the baby is still in the womb, or shortly after the baby is born. In many cases, if the problems with the heart are minor and the patient has few symptoms, tetralogy of Fallot will not be diagnosed until the individual reaches their twenties or thirties.
Patients diagnosed with tetralogy of Fallot will be treated surgically to correct the defects present at birth, and will require regular medical follow-up visits for life to monitor the progression of the condition.
What Is Tetralogy of Fallot?
Children born with Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) will have four issues associated with their heart, right from birth to having their function properly to send sufficient oxygen throughout the entire body. Your baby’s overall health depends on having sufficient supply levels of oxygen in their system for the body to function properly.
Your body gets its blood from a certain pathway that the blood must go through in order for every heartbeat to work properly; however, because of the way that the heart was developed with ToF, you will find that there are parts of the heart that could allow for deoxygenated blood to flow back into your child’s body. Many children who are born with ToF will receive support from medicines and other medical procedures designed to assist them while they are still very young.
Tetralogy of Fallot has the following four problems in newborns:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)- This defect is a hole in the wall between the lower chambers of the heart that allows blood that lacks oxygen to mix with oxygenated blood.
Pulmonary artery stenosis - A small valve and main pulmonary artery make it impossible to receive enough blood to get it to your lungs with each heartbeat.
Aorta is overriding - the aorta and aortic valve is bulging above and open to both ventricles due to VSD. This lets your blood that has no oxygen travel to your body rather than to your lungs and pulmonary artery to obtain oxygen.
Ventricular hypertrophy - The muscle surrounding your right ventricle is too thick since it is overworking due to compensating for the rest of the abnormalities of the heart.
Types of Tetralogy of Fallot:
Tetralogy of Fallot has the following four problems in newborns:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD)- This defect is a hole in the wall between the lower chambers of the heart that allows blood that lacks oxygen to mix with oxygenated blood.
Pulmonary artery stenosis - A small valve and main pulmonary artery make it impossible to receive enough blood to get it to your lungs with each heartbeat.
Aorta is overriding - the aorta and aortic valve is bulging above and open to both ventricles due to VSD. This lets your blood that has no oxygen travel to your body rather than to your lungs and pulmonary artery to obtain oxygen.
Ventricular hypertrophy - The muscle surrounding your right ventricle is too thick since it is overworking due to compensating for the rest of the abnormalities of the heart.
Procedure:
In order to rectify Tetralogy of Fallot, the cardiac abnormalities are usually repaired surgically. This is a detailed account of what takes place prior to, during, and following the procedure:
Before the Procedure
Anesthesia: Patients undergoing surgery will also receive a form of anesthesia that is a combination of general anesthesia and local anesthesia. The combination of the two anesthetics will allow them to be asleep (unconscious) as well as have an area of their body numbed (lots of pain-free areas).
Monitoring: After being put under anesthesia, the patient's vital signs will be monitored with devices to measure the patient's heart rate (number of beats per minute), blood pressure (the pressure of blood against arteries), and oxygen saturation (the amount of oxygen in the blood).
During the Procedure
Incision: In order to access the heart, the surgeon will create an incision in the chest. Depending on the surgical procedure, a smaller incision might be used in specific circumstances.
Correction of the Defects: The surgeon will correct the four defects that are related to TOF:
Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD): The patient will have a hole between the two ventricles, which will be sealed by the surgeon with sutures or a patch.
Pulmonary Stenosis: The constriction of the portion below the pulmonary valve can be dilated by an operation referred to as valvuloplasty or by resection of obstructive tissue.
Overriding Aorta: The aorta will be moved so that it is positioned directly over the left ventricle.
Right Ventricular outflow tract (RVOT): In case of need, a patch or conduit can be laid so that the right ventricle can pump blood to the lungs in a proper manner.
Closure: Once the repairs have been completed, the surgeon will close the chest, and this will normally be with the help of a suture or staple.
After the Procedure
Recovery after Treatment: After the procedure, individuals will transition into the recovery unit, wherein they’ll continue to be safety monitored while they regain consciousness post-surgery.
ICU: Likely, most recipients of this process will spend at least some of that time in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for observation purposes as part of the healing process. Medical staff will routinely perform assessments of their physiological status and administer medication to manage discomfort.
Time in Hospital: The time frame of hospitalisation will vary, but is often a minimum of 3 days, with longer time frames being dependent on how individuals recover physically, along with carefully observing whether their cardiac muscles are functioning appropriately.
Follow-Up Care: Following discharge from the hospital, recipients will receive ongoing follow-up services from cardiologists, internists, cardiothoracic surgeons and/or other specialists who continue to provide guidance regarding their general health status as well as how their heart is performing. Adhering to these follow-ups may provide essential information about the continued maintenance required to keep their heart and body working optimally.
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Cost of Tetralogy of Fallot in India
In India, Tetralogy of Fallot surgery typically costs between $6,000 and $7,500 USD. Depending on the hospital, the surgeon's skill level, and any extra procedures needed, this price may change. Get in touch with us right now for a precise estimate.
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Indications of Tetralogy of Fallot:
The associated symptoms of tetralogy of Fallot vary according to the degree of severity of abnormalities present in the four components. A child may present asymptomatically at first; however, if a child has a mild variant, mild duskiness of the skin (especially during crying and/or exercise) may develop. A child may also present in extremis (especially if they experience severe cyanotic spells), which are life-threatening episodes in which the child becomes completely cyanotic (extensively blue) and may be unresponsive to stimuli.
Common associated symptoms of tetralogy of Fallot are:
Cyanosis – also known as "blue baby syndrome" – is one of the primary, defining symptoms of tetralogy of Fallot. As a result of decreased oxygen levels in the blood, the skin, lips, and nails appear bluish or purplish in colour (as a result of decreased oxygen levels). The decreased oxygen levels are caused by the inability of a sufficiently large amount of blood to flow from the right ventricle to the lungs to become oxygenated because of the narrowing of the pulmonary artery, and also by the hole (VSD) that allows for the flow of oxygen-poor blood from the right ventricle directly into the body. Cyanotic episodes are typically most prominent with exertion or episodes of crying.
Heart Murmur: This is an unusual sound you can hear when blood moves through the heart in a chaotic way. In Tetralogy of Fallot, structural problems inside the heart cause this.
Difficulty in Breathing: Kids with Tetralogy of Fallot often struggle to breathe, especially when they’re active and need more oxygen. You’ll notice they might pant, breathe fast, or seem to fight for air. It really limits what they can do physically.
Clubbing of Fingers and Toes: Clubbing means the tips of the fingers and toes get rounder and larger than usual. This happens because low oxygen in the blood, common in Tetralogy of Fallot, affects the shape of the nails over time. It usually shows up after a while, especially if the oxygen problem sticks around.
Poor Growth and Development: Kids with Tetralogy of Fallot sometimes don’t grow as well as they should. Their bodies just aren’t getting enough oxygen, so they might stay small, struggle to gain weight, or hit their developmental milestones later than other children.
Easy Fatigability: Due to their tiredness, children with Tetralogy of Fallot tend to tire easily and look lethargic or tired even when performing normal activities.
Fainting Spells: Dizziness or seizure and fainting or syncope may happen in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot. These attacks are mainly initiated by the insufficient supply of blood to the brain caused by defects in the structure of the heart. Fainting spells can be alarming, and they need the attention of medical personnel.
The prolonged presence of TOF will cause polycythemia (an excess of blood cells), thereby causing the blood to thicken, thus resulting in strokes or damage of tissues and organs.
Risk Factors:
Tetralogy of Fallot correction includes some risks and potential problems, just like any surgical operation. Patients and their families can make better judgments if they are aware of these.
Common Risks
Infection: There’s a chance the surgical site or even the heart itself could get infected. To lower this risk, doctors usually prescribe antibiotics.
Bleeding: Some bleeding happens—it’s pretty normal. But if there’s too much, the team might need to step in and take care of it.
Arrhythmias: After surgery, the heart sometimes beats out of rhythm. If that happens, they’ll keep an eye on it and treat it if needed.
Respiratory Issues: Breathing can get tricky after surgery, especially for people who already have lung problems.
Rare Risks
Heart Failure: The heart might not recover appropriately after an operation, leading to the development of heart failure due to surgery.
Stroke: A patient may, although infrequently, suffer a stroke during the procedure as well as afterwards from blood clots.
Pulmonary Complications: Patients who have existing lung problems will experience more difficulty with their lung problems post-operatively than other patients, which leads to complications related to lung function.
Follow-Up Procedures: Follow-up procedures might have to be performed due to incomplete repair from the first operation.
Long-Term Considerations
Continuous Monitoring: In order to track heart function and handle any long-term issues, patients will need to see a cardiologist for the rest of their lives.
Activity Restrictions: Physical activity and sports involvement may be advised based on the patient's recuperation and heart health.