Funding outcome

Tetralogy of Fallot is a common congenital heart disease which affects the blood supply to the lungs. Currently, surgery is done to correct the defects seen in this condition. These pediatric patients are subsequently followed by MRI and ultrasound after surgery. Eventually, pulmonary valve replacement is performed as these children outgrow their valves. Deciding when to replace these valves depends on various factors. MRI is traditionally used to evaluate heart function and size. Currently, newer methods of evaluating different areas and measures of right heart function are being researched. We wish to explore new ways of analyzing the right ventricle in patients with repaired TOF. During this study, we will analyze MRI images taken from TOF patients from within the last 5 years. We will use our own custom software to analyze regions of the right ventricle to assess strain and area change. After comparing these values to standard measures of right ventricular size and function, and exercise testing, we will determine if our regional measures are more effective in predicting need for intervention. Outcomes and interventions will include surgery, interventional procedure, and presence of symptomes with no intervention or surgery. By knowing the optimal time to replace the pulmonary valve, we can minimize the number of operations the children have to undergo. We hope our work will ultimately contribute to the imaging guidelines for determining the indication for pulmonary valve replacement in pediatric patients.