Improved Outcomes After Pulmonary Valve Replacement in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

Background: The impact of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) on major adverse clinical outcomes in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) is unknown.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether PVR is associated with improved survival and freedom from sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in rTOF.

Methods: A PVR propensity score was created to adjust for baseline differences between PVR and non-PVR patients enrolled in INDICATOR (International Multicenter TOF Registry). The primary outcome was time to the earliest occurrence of death or sustained VT. PVR and non-PVR patients were matched 1:1 on PVR propensity score (matched cohort) and in the full cohort, modeling was performed with propensity score as a covariate adjustment.

Results: Among 1,143 patients with rTOF (age 27 ± 14 years, 47% PVR, follow-up 8.3 ± 5.2 years), the primary outcome occurred in 82. The adjusted HR for the primary outcome for PVR vs no-PVR (matched cohort n = 524) was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.21-0.81; multivariable model P = 0.010). Full cohort analysis revealed similar results. Subgroup analysis suggested beneficial effects in patients with advanced right ventricular (RV) dilatation (interaction P = 0.046; full cohort). In patients with RV end-systolic volume index >80 mL/m², PVR was associated with a lower primary outcome risk (HR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.16-0.62; P < 0.001). There was no association between PVR and the primary outcome in patients with RV end-systolic volume index ≤80 mL/m² (HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.38-1.92; P = 0.70).

Conclusions: Compared with rTOF patients who did not receive PVR, propensity score-matched individuals receiving PVR had lower risk of a composite endpoint of death or sustained VT.