Symptomatic Tetralogy of Fallot in Young Infants: Primary Repair or Shunt—Pediatric Health Information System Database Analysis

Compare the early outcomes and hospital charges of early primary repair and systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt for neonates and young infants (≤90 days of age) with tetralogy of Fallot using data from the Pediatric Health Information System database. The Pediatric Health Information System database was queried for patients <90 days of age with primary diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot who underwent nonelective surgical repair or palliation between January 2008 and December 2014. The initial cohort of 821 patients (group 1 early primary repair, N = 554; group 2 systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt, N = 267) was propensity score matched (248 patients in each group) to account for baseline imbalances in age and prostaglandin use. Comparison of unmatched groups revealed younger age and higher incidence of extracardiac anomalies (P = .02) and prematurity (P = .04) in group 2. Mortality was comparable between the groups (group 1: 20 [4%] of 554 vs group 2: 11 [4%] of 267, P = .74). Irrespective of the type of procedure, prematurity (odds ratio [OR] = 3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-7.4) and extracardiac anomalies (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2-5.3) were independent risk factors for mortality. Propensity score–matched analysis revealed no significant differences in patient mortality (P = 1), duration of ventilation (P = .64), hospital length of stay (P = .69), or hospital charges (P = .08) between the two groups. Outcomes and hospital charges associated with nonelective early primary repair are comparable to systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt in symptomatic patients <90 days old with tetralogy of Fallot