title: Initial clinical experience with a novel biodegradable ring in patients with functional tricuspid insufficiency: Kalangos Biodegradable Tricuspid Ring.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tricuspid annuloplasty procedures have been widely performed in clinics for many years. The Kalangos Biodegradable Tricuspid Ring (Kalangos Biodegradable Tricuspid Ring, Bioring SA, Lonay, Switzerland) is a novel prosthesis for the treatment of tricuspid insufficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and echocardiographic results of this novel prosthesis for functional tricuspid insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between October 2005 and May 2006, 15 patients with the diagnosis of moderate or severe functional tricuspid insufficiency were treated by implantation of a Kalangos Biodegradable Tricuspid Ring. All patients were evaluated clinically and by echocardiography preoperatively, and control tests were performed at the end of the 1st and 6th month following surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderate and severe insufficiency was documented in 11 and 4 patients, respectively, in the preoperative tests. 1 and 6 months after surgery, 4 patients had trace and 1 patient had mild tricuspid insufficiency, while 10 patients had none. At the 1st and 6th month follow-up, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, right atrial dimension and right ventricular diastolic diameter were found to be significantly lower than the preoperative values ( P < 0.0001). The right atrial diameter and tricuspid valve area had decreased significantly at the end of the 1st month; however, no significant difference was found between the 1st and 6th month tests ( P > 0.05). Three-quarters of the annuloplasty ring had degraded at 6 months. No complications related to the prosthesis or the procedure occurred within this period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Kalangos Biodegradable Ring is a promising prosthesis in patients with functional tricuspid insufficiency, with encouraging initial results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gaziantep University, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep, Turkey. oburma@hotmail.com
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Burma
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ustunsoy
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Davutoglu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Celkan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kazaz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pektok
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000473:pathology; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014463:Ultrasonography