Significant Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation Research Articles

A Three-Dimensional Ring Annuloplasty for the Treatment of Tricuspid Regurgitation

Significant functional tricuspid regurgitation should be corrected in patients undergoing surgery for left-sided valvular diseases. Several clinical studies have shown the superiority of the remodeling annuloplasty over other repair techniques. Herein we report our early experience with a new three-dimensional remodeling prosthetic ring (Edwards MC3 annuloplasty system [Edwards LifeSciences, Irvine, CA]). From June 2002 to November 2004, 75 patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation (mean, 3.1 +/- 0.9) underwent tricuspid valve repair with this new prosthesis. Concomitant procedures were mitral valve repair (70%), replacement (26%), aortic valve replacement (10%), coronary artery bypass grafting (13%), and left atrial maze (34%). Median predicted EuroScore mortality was 21% (r = 3 to 62). Operative mortality was 5.3% (n = 4). Pre-discharge echocardiography showed significant decrease in tricuspid regurgitation to 0.3 +/- 0.4 (p < 0.001). Forty-five patients had follow-up transthoracic echocardiography after a median of 16 months (range, 4 to 34) demonstrating a stable result (mean tricuspid regurgitation, 0.3 +/- 0.5). There were no cases of ring dehiscence, prosthetic ring endocarditis, or thromboembolic events. This new three-dimensional ring is easy to implant, corrects tricuspid regurgitation effectively, and provides good short-term clinical and echocardiographic results. Long-term evaluation, however, is necessary to determine the stability of tricuspid valve repair using the MC3 annuloplasty system.

Outcome of significant functional tricuspid regurgitation after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty

Background The outcome of significant functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) associated with mitral stenosis (MS) after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) remains to be clarified. Methods From 265 patients who underwent PMV at our institution from 1995 to 2000 and who were regularly observed, we selected 71 patients (55 women, mean age 43 ± 11 years) who showed significant moderate to severe functional TR before PMV. We analyzed data from the echocardiograms performed before, 24 hours after, and long after the intervention (29 ± 12 months) and analyzed clinical outcomes. Resolution of TR was defined as trace or mild TR on the follow-up color Doppler study. Results Patients with moderate to severe TR showed more severe MS and pulmonary hypertension and more atrial fibrillation than patients with less than moderate TR. TR was resolved on the follow-up echocardiography in 23 of the 71 patients with significant TR before PMV (32%). The TR jet area before PMV (P <.05) and the late decrement of peak transmitral pressure gradient (P <.01) were independent determinants of resolution. TR was resolved in only 6.7% of patients (1/15) with an unsuccessful long-term PMV result, but was resolved in 39% of patients (22/56) with a successful long-term result (P <.05). During the clinical follow-up period (mean length 38 ± 20 months), 4 patients underwent open heart surgery 24 to 39 months after PMV, and there was no overall mortality. Conclusions Significant functional TR was associated with more severe MS, and it could be diminished when the transmitral pressure gradient was sufficiently relieved with PMV. (Am Heart J 2003;145:371-6.)

Vanishing De Vega annuloplasty for functional tricuspid regurgitation

Annuloplasty is performed for significant functional tricuspid regurgitation even if it is presumed that in some cases the regurgitation will regress spontaneously after correction of the left-sided lesion. In an attempt to avoid the drawbacks of a permanent annuloplasty, we used a reabsorbable De Vega annuloplasty in a selected group of patients. Of 73 patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation operated on between May 1989 and May 1991, 25 with pulmonary arteriolar resistance below 400 dyne.sec.cm-5 underwent a De Vega annuloplasty with 2-0 polydioxanone suture. The diagnosis of significant functional tricuspid regurgitation (mean 2.74 +/- 1.05) was established by transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography in all patients. The degree of functional tricuspid regurgitation and pulmonary arteriolar resistance were measured with the patients anesthetized. In 16 patients the regurgitation remained severe (3+ to 4+) and in 9 it was moderate (2+). Twenty-three patients had mitral (12 repairs, 11 replacements) and 9 had aortic (4 repairs, 5 replacements) valve operations. The immediate postbypass residual functional tricuspid regurgitation was 0 to 1+ in 23 and 0 in 2. There was 1 (4%) operative death. The maximum follow-up period was 24 months (mean 13.9 months). There were 2 (8.3%) late deaths. Six patients underwent reoperation because of mitral dysfunction. Four of them who were reoperated on between 2 and 5 weeks after the initial procedure showed no recurrence of functional tricuspid regurgitation. The other 2, reoperated on at 5 and 10 months after the first operation, had recurrence of functional tricuspid regurgitation. Visual inspection of these two tricuspid valves showed a dilated anulus with otherwise normal valves. All surviving patients are in New York Heart Association functional class I or II without significant functional tricuspid regurgitation (mean 0.78 +/- 0.56). We concluded that functional tricuspid regurgitation in patients with low pulmonary arteriolar resistance can be adequately treated by a vanishing De Vega annuloplasty, which will stent the tricuspid anulus for about 4 months.

Tricuspid regurgitation by Doppler echocardiography after orthotopic cardiac transplantation

The incidence and severity of Doppler-detected tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and associated clinical variables was studied in 20 patients who underwent cardiac transplantation. Eighteen of the 20 patients had Doppler detectable TR after cardiac transplantation, 14 had moderate to severe TR and 4 mild TR. Echocardiographic evidence of right ventricular volume overload was present in 13 of 14 patients with moderate to severe TR and in none of the other 6 patients. Patient age, primary disease process, cold ischemic time of the transplanted heart, and the frequency or severity of organ rejection did not correlate with the development of TR. Two patients with significant TR had a torn or partially torn tricuspid chordae, indicating an organic etiology, and the remaining patients had functional TR. All 8 patients with a pulmonary artery systolic pressure of 55 mm Hg or more before transplantation had significant functional TR after transplantation (p ≤ 0.05). Pulmonary vascular resistance before transplantation was not predictive; however, after transplantation pulmonary vascular resistance was significantly greater in patients with moderate to severe TR (101.6 ± 41.3 vs 50.2 ± 16.6 dynes s cm −5, p ≤ 0.01).