Growth patterns in children after open heart surgery

Abstract

Growth was studied before and after complete correction of ventricular septal defect and Fallot's tetralogy in 20 children in Singapore. Serial heights and weights were taken as indices of growth before and after surgery. Children with other obvious congenital malformations were excluded. All the children with Fallot's tetralogy showed growth acceleration after surgery with the exception of those operated after the onset of puberty. In this latter group of patients, there was a postoperative growth acceleration in weight but not in height. On the contrary, all the children with ventricular septal defect operated before the age of 7 yr did not show significant growth acceleration postoperatively, though some of them operated above the age of 7 yr did so. A possible explanation for this growth pattern is suggested.