The Effects of Tricuspid De Vega Annuloplasty on Ventricular Functions in Patients with Mitral Valve Replacement and Concomitant Tricuspid Regurgitation

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long term results of de Vega annuloplasty on ventricular functions in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement due to mitral valve pathology and functional tricuspid regurgiatiton.Patients and Methods: Eighty six patients who underwent mitral valve replacement in our clinic, during January 2008-June 2008 were involved in the study. The patients were grouped into two according to the presence of tricuspid pathology and annuloplasty. The demographic data and 6th and 24th month echocardiographic follow up were recorded.Results: First group consisted of 49 patients with pure mitral valve replacement patients and second group consisted of 37 patients that had tricuspid annuloplasty with mitral valve replacement. The demographic data and follow up echocardiographic results were compared. The statistical analysis showed that the patients with tricuspid regurgitation and recieved an annuloplasty had similiar ventricular functions with those who had pure mitral replacement. More significantly, in patients who recieved an annuloplasty with preoperative high pulmonary artery pressure and central venous pressure and bigger right atrial diameter, the ventricular findings in follow up were similiar with the pure mitral valve pathology.Conclusion: Tricuspid de vega annuloplasty is effective in functional tricuspid valve regurgitation. Long term follow up showed that ventricular findings were similiar with those who had only pure mitral pathology and mimimal regurgitation. Preoperative ejection fraction and grade of regurgiatiton is important in the decision making to perform annuloplasty.