Tricuspid valve repair: a rational alternative.
OBJECTIVE
The prosthetic ring annuloplasty and incompletely encircling suture techniques are effective methods of tricuspid valve repair when the problem is only annular dilatation, but not when organic tricuspid valve disease is present. A surgical technique of valve repair has been developed that is equally effective in correcting purely functional as well as organic valvular incompetence.


METHODS
The Manipal method of repairing the incompetent tricuspid valve consists of three steps: (i) anteroseptal commissurotomy and asymmetric 'U-on-side' suture annuloplasty, to push the plane of coaptation of the anterior and septal leaflets into the right ventricle; (ii) a semicircular De Vega-type of plicating suture through the annulus, starting and ending just cephalad to the posteroseptal commissure and extending anticlockwise to a point just caudal to the meridian, to exclude the posterior leaflet; and (iii) tying the plicating suture after positioning a 3M Starr-Edward valve sizer across the tricuspid valve (in an adult), to ensure that the valve orifice is not excessively narrowed.


RESULTS
Between July 1986 and January 1997, the Manipal method was used to repair 52 tricuspid valves, always combined with surgery for the mitral and/or aortic valve. Tricuspid stenosis of varying degree was present in 61% of cases. One of two hospital deaths was related to the repaired valve. Although the proportion of patients followed up fell progressively to 33% at 10 years, none of the patients either seen personally or who had replied to a postal questionnaire (78% of total patients) required reoperation for valve regurgitation or obstruction. No patient had more than mild tricuspid regurgitation clinically, even seven and 10 years after tricuspid valve repair surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
This alternative method of tricuspid valve repair is simple to execute, is equally effective in correcting both pure tricuspid regurgitation and organic tricuspid valve disease, and appears to be extremely stable.
Shatapathy
P
P
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal, India.
Aggarwal
B K
BK
Kamath
S G
SG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*