[Anesthesia for repair of tetralogy of Fallot in an adult patient: case report.].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Congenital cardiopathy is one of the most common problems at birth, with an incidence of 1 to 1.5 in 10,000 live births. Currently, more than 85% of children with congenital cardiopathy survive to adulthood, partly due to the development of new therapies, but especially because of the tendency for earlier surgical corrections. On the other hand, adult patients with non-corrected tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) are hard to find. The objective of the present report was to describe a case of repair of TOF in an adult patient.

CASE REPORT: A female patient, 45 years old, with TOF, was admitted for surgical repair of her condition. Physical exam revealed extremities with cyanosis and oxygen saturation (SpO2) of 73%. General balanced anesthesia consisted of ethomidate, fentanyl, pancuronium and sevoflurane. During the surgery, the ventricular communication was closed, placement of a 24 French prosthetic conduit with valve and, posteriorly, the ventricular septum was fenestrated. Milrinone and dopamine were administrated when extracorporeal circulation (ECC) was removed. At the end of the surgery SpO2 was 97%. After the procedure the patient was admitted to the ICU where she remained for 72 hours, being discharged from the hospital on the eighth postoperative day in good condition.

CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrated the successful surgical repair in a high-risk patient, with a very good interaction among the surgeon, anesthetist, and intensive care.