Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation and Ring Annuloplasty Repair

Functional tricuspid regurgitation(TR)primarily arises from asymmetric dilation of the tricuspid annulus in the setting of right ventricular dysfunction and enlargement in response to left-sided myocardial and valvular abnormalities.Even if the TR is not severe at the time of mitral valve surgery,it can worsen and even appear late after successful mitral valve surgery,which portends a poor prognosis.Despite data demonstrating inferior outcomes in the presence of residual TR,surgical repair for functional TR remains underused.Acceptance of TR,in the presence of tricuspid annular dilation,may be unacceptable.Surgical repair should consist of placement of a rigid or semirigid annular ring,which has been shown to provide superior durability as compared with suture and flexible band techniques.Finally,percutaneous annuloplasty for correction of functional TR may allow treatment of patients with recurrent TR at high risk of reoperation.

Pericardial Strip versus Ring Annuloplasty for Repair of Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation

Background: Functional tricuspid regurgitation is a challenge regarding indications for repair and proper surgical technique. Aim of the study: We reviewed our midterm results of tricuspid valve repair for functional regurgitation comparing pericardial strip versus ring annuloplasties. Patients and methods: From January 2008 to December 2013, we operated 59 patients (male:female, 41:18, with a mean age of 34 ± 14 years) for functional tricuspid regurgitation. Tricuspid annuloplasty was done using pericardial strip in 39 patients and ring in 20 patients. Concomitant procedures were mitral valve replacement in 66% of patients, aortic valve replacement in 5% and double valve replacement in 29%. Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected. Results: Preoperative characteristics of the two groups were similar regarding age, percentage of female patients, New York Heart Association functional class and pulmonary artery pressure. More patients with preoperative right ventricular dysfunction were found in pericardial annuloplasty group although this was not statistically significant (13 versus 5;P = 0.52). Operative times were similar in both groups. We had one mortality case (1.69%) due to low cardiac output in the pericardial group. Postoperative complications included reexploration for bleeding in one patient and chronic heart failure in another patient. The average follow up period was 3 years and it was complete in 100% of patients. Postoperative freedom from recurrent moderate tricuspid regurgitation was 90% in both groups. Conclusion: Pericardial strip annuloplasty is a simple, inexpensive, reproducible and efficient technique that has comparable results to ring annuloplasty.

Left Ventricular Reconstruction and Mitral Valve Annuloplasty Combined with Papillary Muscle Relocation for Severe Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation

A 46-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to severe ischemic mitral regurgitation with severe bileaflet tethering and a dilated left ventricle. We performed left ventricular reconstruction and mitral valve annuloplasty combined with papillary muscle relocation. Although left ventricular continued remodeling occurred during follow-up, left ventricular reconstruction and mitral valve annuloplasty combined with papillary muscle relocation provided durable mitral repair, and his functional status was good. Thus, this combined surgical treatment may reduce mitral regurgitation recurrence after mitral valve annuloplasty.

Prosthetic Ring Endocarditis with Shrunken Mitral Annulus Late After Undersized Mitral Annuloplasty

We report a case of supra-annular mitral valve replacement for a patient with prosthetic ring endocarditis that developed late after undergoing undersized mitral annuloplasty (UMAP). A 58-year-old man had undergone left ventriculoplasty and UMAP with a 26-mm semi-rigid full ring for dilated cardiomyopathy and functional mitral regurgitation. The mitral valve had progressively stenosed and he developed prosthetic ring endocarditis 5 years after the operation. In the surgery, there were brownish fresh vegetations around the anterior mitral leaflet and the prosthetic ring. The mitral annulus was very small, even after removal of the infected ring prosthesis and debridement of the infected tissues. We implanted a 22-mm mechanical prosthesis in the supra-annular position using everting mattress sutures to prevent the valve leaflets from getting stuck by the thickened subannular tissue. Herein, we discuss the surgical procedures for a shrunken mitral annulus.

Association of edge-to-edge valve repair with artificial ring annuloplasty for severe tricuspid insufficiency

Objective To analyze whether association of edge to edge valve repair with artificial ring annuloplasty would result in better results in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) . Methods From April,2001 to May, 2010,41 patients underwent tricuspid valve repair to treat severe TR were studied. Twenty-one patients were done artificial ring annuloplasty alone (group R) and twenty patients were done artificial ring annuloplasty associated with edge to edge valve repair (group E) . All the

A modified tricuspid valve annuloplasty technique for functional tricuspid regurgitation

Background Functional tricuspid regurgitation often occurs in patients with concomitant left sided, valve disease. Several types of tricuspid valve annuloplasty have been described, but there is no consensus on the management of functional tricuspid regurgitation. We report a modified annuloplasty technique and compare its efficacy with the conventional Kay technique. Methods A retrospective review was made of 60 patients who received tricuspid valve annuloplasty （group A, modified method; group B, Kay technique） and the early and midterm outcomes of modified method and Kay technique were compared. Results Three patients underwent ring annuloplasty using a semirigid Carpentier-Edwards ring due to failing suture annuloplasty. All patients were completely cured when they left the hospital. The follow-up time was （32＋7） months in group A and （30＋7） months in group B. After three years, tricuspid regurgitation decreased by more than two grades in 13 patients in group A and 11 in group B. The mean postoperative regurgitation grade in group A was lower than group B at 12, 24 and 36 months but not significantly. Three of 28 patients developed recurrent tricuspid regurgitation in group A and five of 26 patients in group B during the follow-up period （three deaths and three ring annuloplasties excluded）. Freedom from recurrent tricuspid regurgitation in group A was higher than that group B at all follow-up points. Postoperative right atrium diameter, right ventricle endodiastolic dimension and tricuspid regurgitation area decreased obviously in both groups. The right ventricle endodiastolic dimension and tricuspid regurgitation area improved more significantly in group A than group B over three years of follow-up, Conclusions The modified annuloplasty technique achieved the same outcomes as the conventional Kay annuloplasty over the first three years postoperation. As this modified technique is simple and less expensive, it is another option for correction of functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Clinical outcomes of tricuspid valve repair accompanying left-sided heart disease

AIM To determine whether the need for additional tricuspid valve repair is an independent risk factor when surgery is required for a left-sided heart disease.METHODS One hundred and eighty patients(68 ± 12 years,79 males) underwent tricuspid annuoplasty.Cox proportionalhazards regression model for multivariate analysis was performed for variables found significant in univariate analyses.RESULTS Tricuspid regurgitation etiology was functional in 154 cases(86%),organic in 16 cases(9%),and mixed in10 cases(6%),respectively.Postoperative mortality at 30 days was 11.7%.Mean follow-up was 51.7 mo with survival at 5 years of 73.5%.Risk factors for mortality were acute endocarditis [hazard ratio(HR) = 9.22(95%CI:2.87-29.62),P < 0.001],ischemic heart disease requiring myocardial revascularization [HR = 2.79(1.26-6.20),P = 0.012],and aortic valve stenosis [HR = 2.6(1.15-5.85),P = 0.021].Significant predictive factors from univariate analyses were double-valve replacement combined with tricuspid annuloplasty [HR = 2.21(1.11-4.39),P = 0.003] and preoperatively impaired ejection fraction [HR = 1.98(1.04-3.92),P = 0.044].However,successful mitral valve repair showed a protective effect [HR = 0.32(0.10-0.98),P = 0.046].Additionally,in instances where tricuspid regurgitation required the need for concomitant tricuspid valve repair,mortality predictor scores such as Euroscore 2 could be shortened to a simple Euroscore-tricuspid comprised of only 7 inputs.The explanation may lie in the fact that significant tricuspid regurgitation following leftsided heart disease represents an independent risk factor encompassing several other factors such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and dyspnea.CONCLUSION Tricuspid annuloplasty should be used more often as a concomitant procedure in the presence of relevant tricuspid regurgitation,although it usually reveals an overly delayed correction of a left-sided heart disease.

Chronic ischemic mitral valve regurgitation and surgical perspectives

Chronic ischemic mitral valve regurgitation is a result of disturbed left ventricular geometry secondary to myocardial ischemia in the absence of intrinsic mitral valve pathology. It is a common complication after myocardial infarction, and patients who have ischemic mitral regurgitation(IMR) have a worse prognosis compared to patients who have ischemic heart disease alone, and this is directly related to the severity of IMR. Medical therapy has limited efficacy, and surgical options including various repair techniques and valve replacement had been tried with variable success. Still there is intense debate among surgeons whether to interfere with moderate degree IMR at the time of coronary artery revascularization.

Coronary venous system in cardiac computer tomography: Visualization, classification and role

The role of the coronary venous system was underestimated for many years.In the last 20 years,a few percutaneous cardiology techniques in which the anatomy of the coronary venous system was significant were developed and are in use.The most important seems to be cardiac resynchronization therapy,which is an invasive method for the treatment of heart failure.Unfortunately,one of the major problems is the significant anatomical variability of the coronary venous system.The description of the selected anatomical structures is only useful in selected cases such as,for example,the obstruction of selected vessels,a huge Thebesian valve,etc.The 3D images can add significant value;however,their usefulness is limited due to the different points of view that are obtained during intra-operational fluoroscopy.After summarizing all of the articles andguidelines,it can be recommended that the visualization of the coronary venous system be performed in certain patients before cardiac resynchronization.The best option is to use tomography with retrospective gating with the optimal reconstruction of cardiac veins that occurs during the diastolic phases.

The Future of Transcatheter Therapy for Mitral Valve Disease

The develop percutaneous treatments for mitral regurgitation(MR)have been based on established surgical procedures.Most are based in some way on mitral annuloplasty.Indirect angioplasty utilizing coronary sinus and leafl et repair with the MitraClip device have the most development and clinical application.More recently,after the success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement,transcatheter mitral valve replacement has emerged.A critical unanswered question is what the relative roles of valve repair and valve replacement will be.The largest experience in practice is with MitraClip leaflet repair.The evidence base for the development of these novel therapies includes some data in surgical candidates,and registry studies that have been done predominantly in high risk populations.

Ebstein's Anomaly—An Overview

Aim: To present the various echocardiographic spectrum of Ebstein’s mal-formation in adolescence and adults. Introduction: Ebstein’s anomaly has different anatomic and hemodynamic variables with clinical manifestations of cyanosis, right-sided heart failure and arrhythmias. The leaflet tethering and dysplasia, together with dilatation of the tricuspid valve ring, constitute the anatomic cause of tricuspid regurgitation observed in this condition. Case Reports: The spectrum of leaflet tethering from mild to extreme with varying degrees of tricuspid regurgitation were documented by echocardiography in a 16-year-old cyanotic male with Ebstein’s anomaly associated with an atrial septal defect and mild low tricuspid regurgitation (TR), 22-year-old acyanotic male with right-sided heart failure due to severe tricuspid regurgitation and an intact atrial septum, 55-year-old asymptomatic female with moderate high tricuspid regurgitation. The extreme form was described as an “atretic” mem-brane in a 28-year-old cyanotic male and as a “blanket” of leaflet tissue in a 30-year-old cyanotic male. Conclusion: Ebstein’s anomaly has to be sus-pected clinically in presence of cyanosis with a WPW (Wolf-Parkinson-White) or atrioventricular (AV) block pattern of ECG and its management is complex and must be individualized. RV (right ventricular) exclusion procedures are preferred in advanced cases.