Clinic patient characteristics for the three three-month periods (March to May)
| 1987 | 1992 | 1997 | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean (SD) age (years) | 38.5 (8.9) | 33.6 (13.5) | 31.7 (11.7) | < 0.001 |
| Male (%) | 51.1 | 46.9 | 55.7 | NS |
| Unoperated | 35.5 | 33.8 | 26.9 | 0.2 |
| Palliation only | 16.7 | 19.3 | 18 | NS |
| Previous repair | 48.9 | 59.2 | 69.2 | 0.002 |
| Previous reoperation | 2.2 | 10 | 9.2 | 0.01 |
| Pacemaker | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.7 | NS |
| Main diagnoses (%) | ||||
| Atrial/ventricular septal defect | 17.8 | 21.6 | 22 | NS |
| Tetralogy of Fallot | 20 | 16.2 | 14.3 | |
| LVOT obstructive lesions | 21.1 | 12.3 | 12 | |
| Complete TGA | 7.8 | 7.7 | 10 | |
| RVOT obstructive lesions | 9 | 6.2 | 7.7 | |
| Coarctation of the aorta | 5.6 | 6.2 | 6.9 | |
| Marfan syndrome | 2.2 | 6.2 | 5.4 | |
| Congenitally corrected TGA | 2.2 | 3.1 | 4.3 | |
| Atrioventricular septal defect | 1.1 | 1.6 | 3.4 | |
| Eisenmenger syndrome | 1.1 | 1.6 | 3.1 | |
| Ebstein anomaly of TV | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.3 | |
| Complex/other lesions | 8.9 | 19.2 | 12.9 | |
| Investigations (%) | ||||
| Echocardiography | 44.4 | 39.2 | 55.7 | NS |
| Holter monitoring | 7.8 | 7.7 | 6.9 | NS |
| Exercise RNA | 6.7 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 0.06 |
| Cardiac catheter (diagnostic) | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.3 | NS |
| Other | 1.1 | 2.3 | 4.6 | NS |
Palliation only, for patients with one or more previous palliative, not “corrective,” procedures; Previous repair, for patients who had undergone interventions, providing haemodynamic and or anatomical repair; Previous reoperation, for patients who had required further intervention, following previous repair. Previous repair and reoperation are not mutually exclusive—that is, the total is >100%.
L(R)VOT, left (right) ventricular tract obstruction; RNA, radionuclide angiography TGA, transposition of the great arteries; TV, tricuspid valve.