Aggressive Patch Augmentation May Reduce Growth Potential of Hypoplastic Branch Pulmonary Arteries After Tetralogy of Fallot Repair

This retrospective study of 434 infants and children undergoing TOF repair focused on how methods of handling hypoplastic pulmonary arteries affects long-term outcomes.  The most agressive patching technique resulted in the highest incidence of reintervention, whereas patients who had no intervention for hypoplastic pulmonary arterties had the lowest incidence of reintervention.  This suggests that patching restricts the growth potential of the native vessels, and indicates that patients generally do better without intervention.