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Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect. Survival into adulthood is currently expected following surgical repair, leading to a growing population of adults with repaired TOF. In this literature review, we aim to summarize the current state of knowledge on the quality of life of adults with repaired TOF. A search was conducted on PubMed and results were reviewed for articles published between January of 2010 and June of 2020. Search terms included "Tetralogy of Fallot", "repaired", "adults" and "quality of life". For the subjective health status evaluation, most published studies used Short-Form-36. Most studies agree that physical complex status is poorer for adult patients with repaired TOF than for controls. Mental complex status was also lower. Patients reported similar satisfaction with their lives and levels of social participation. Most patients had a college or university degree. Higher education, male gender and having a partner were positively associated with being employed. Studies found no difference in the proportion of patients that are married or living with a partner, compared to control groups. Patients operated for TOF have a lower reproduction rate compared with the background population. A consistent finding of these studies is abnormal physical parameters compared to psychosocial issues. The diverse needs of adults with repaired TOF require a multidisciplinary care, that takes into consideration all aspects that affect their quality of life. Despite abnormal physical functional status, it is reassuring that most adult patients with TOF lead independent and productive lives., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Introduction: Surgical treatment for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is challenging. Most Portuguese patients with CTEPH have been referred to foreign institutions for treatment, with significant social and economic costs. To meet this emerging need, the cardiothoracic surgery department of Hospital de Santa Marta, Lisbon, has developed a dedicated program for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). We hereby present the results for the first 19 patients treated., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all 19 patients who underwent PTE at Hospital de Santa Marta between 2008 and April 2019., Results: Since 2008, a total of 19 patients have undergone PTE in our department. The procedure was performed with good outcomes in both survival and functional recovery. At the very beginning of the series two patients died perioperatively, before all the team underwent formal training at the Royal Papworth Hospital, UK, with no early deaths since. Postoperative complications were similar to other published series. During 11 years of follow-up, there were three late deaths, all in patients with residual pulmonary arterial hypertension. At the latest follow-up (October 2019), all surviving patients showed significant functional recovery, all in NYHA class I or II, with only one patient on vasodilator therapy with sildenafil (the first in the series, operated in 2008)., Conclusions: PTE is a demanding procedure, in which outcomes are related to volume and accumulated experience, however it can be performed safely and with reproducible results by a properly prepared dedicated team with a well-controlled learning curve. More patients and multidisciplinary experience will be needed to further improve and streamline results., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

We present the first case of an iatrogenic aorta to right ventricular outflow tract fistula after Melody valve implantation. A 11-year-old girl, born with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve, underwent surgical repair at three years old with a 15-mm homograft. At five years old, calcification and stenosis of the homograft prompted successful balloon angioplasty and five years later she underwent Melody valve implantation. During follow-up, she began to suffer fatigue on moderate exertion. Echocardiography, cardiac catheterization and computed tomography were performed and showed a significant fistula between the right coronary ostium and the right ventricular outflow tract proximal to the implanted valve. The patient underwent surgical repair and in long-term follow-up there is no evidence of the fistula. Iatrogenic fistula between the ascending aorta and the right ventricular outflow tract after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation is an uncommon complication, and may grow over time. A high level of suspicion is required for this rare complication and a final aortography may be necessary for the diagnosis., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular disease in the elderly, affecting around 8.1% by the age of 85, with a negative impact on quality of life., Objective: To determine the impact of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) on quality of life in octogenarians., Methods: In a single-center retrospective study of octogenarians undergoing isolated SAVR for symptomatic AS between 2011 and 2015, quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) at baseline and at three, six and 12 months after surgery. Scores for the eight domains and two components of the SF-36 were compared at baseline and in the postoperative period by one-way analysis of variance., Results: Over a five-year period, 163 octogenarians underwent SAVR, of whom 3.1% died in the hospital. Deceased patients and those who did not complete the SF-36 were excluded. A total of 81 patients were included, mean age 83±2 years, 63% female, 60.5% in NYHA class II or higher and 19.7% with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. The mean logistic EuroSCORE was 10.7±5.1%. In the hospital, 1.2% suffered stroke, 1.2% received a permanent implantable pacemaker and 23.5% presented atrial fibrillation. In the assessment of quality of life, improvement was seen in all SF-36 domains (p<0.002) and in the physical component (p<0.001) at three, six and 12 months compared to baseline. The mental component also showed improvement, which was significant at six months (p=0.011)., Conclusion: SAVR improved the physical and mental health status of octogenarians with severe AS. This improvement was evident at three months and consistent at six and 12 months., (Copyright © 2019 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Aim: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is important to determine which factors increase the risk of poor outcome in order to enable early detection and aggressive treatment, including surgery. The aim of our study was to identify factors predicting complications and in-hospital mortality in patients with IE and to analyze conditions predisposing to surgery and its outcome., Methods: We performed a retrospective study including patients with IE who underwent transesophageal echocardiography in a tertiary hospital center (2006-2014)., Results: A total of 233 patients were analyzed (69.1% male; mean age 63.4±15.2 years; mean follow-up 28.4±30.7 months). The complication rate was 56.6% and in-hospital mortality was 16.3%. Independent predictors of mortality were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 4.89; CI 1.36-17.63; p=0.015), clinical course complicated by cerebral embolism (OR 9.38; CI 3.26-26.96; p<0.001), and IE due to Staphylococcus spp. (OR 3.78; CI 1.32-10.85; p=0.014) and non-HACEK Gram-negative bacilli (OR 12.85; CI 2.61-63.23; p=0.002). Surgery was performed in 36.9%. This group had higher percentages of males, younger patients, aortic valve IE, large vegetations, perivalvular extension, severe valvular regurgitation and heart failure. In patients with surgical indication (n=133), those who underwent surgery had lower in-hospital mortality (15.5% vs. 32.6%, p=0.028) and better long-term survival (log-rank p=0.029)., Conclusion: The results of this study may help to identify IE patients who are at increased risk of worse outcome, offering the opportunity to change the course of the disease and to improve prognosis with earlier and more aggressive intervention., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)