Conduction disturbance and tachyarrhythmia in postoperative ventricular septal defect and tetralogy of Fallot.

The importance of conduction disturbances and tachyarrhythmias as the determining factors of the late results of postoperative patients with ventricular septal defect and tetralogy of Fallot was reconfirmed in this follow-up study. It was found, however, that the incidences of complete heart block, bilateral bundle-branch block, and ventricular tachyarrhythmia have decreased significantly since the establishment of cold cardioplegia. This has certainly contributed to the remarkable improvement in late follow-up results of postoperative patients with ventricular septal defect or tetralogy of Fallot.