title: Selective annuloplasty of the tricuspid valve. Two-year experience.
abstract: Between July 1986 and March 1989, 48 patients whose ages averaged 60 +/- 6 years were subjected to a new technique for tricuspid valve annuloplasty. The preoperative New York Heart Association functional class averaged 3.7. There were 32 mitral-tricuspid procedures, 13 aortic-mitral-tricuspid procedures, and three repeat tricuspid annuloplasties. The hospital mortality rate was 6.3% with three deaths resulting from cardiac or respiratory failure, or both. Follow-up averaged 14 +/- 8 months. One patient (2.2%) died suddenly, 7 months postoperatively. All patients whose follow-up period lasted 6 months or more improved to class I or II. Twenty-six patients were reinvestigated by catheter or echocardiographic methods, or both. The gradient over the tricuspid valve averaged 1.4 +/- 0.6 mm Hg, and a moderate regurgitant murmur (2/3) was detected in four cases. The diameter of the tricuspidal anulus in the apical four-chamber view decreased from 23.7 +/- 3.9 mm/m2 body surface area preoperatively to 15.7 +/- 1.9 mm/m2 body surface area at late follow-up examination. The present technique allows an anatomic and functional reconstruction of the tricuspid valve with a good compromise between stenosis and regurgitation. The overall mortality rate is low and functional improvement is striking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of R.W.T.H., Aachen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minale
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lambertz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nikol
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gerich
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Messmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012086:Reoperation; D015996:Survival Rate; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*