Background: The purpose of this study was to determine risk predictors for recurrent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) following tricuspid valve annuloplasty during mitral valve surgery.
Methods: Ninety-eight consecutive patients underwent tricuspid valve annuloplasty concomitant with mitral valve repair (71 patients), replacement (16 patients), or other procedures over a 10-year period. Fifty-seven patients underwent surgery with a flexible band and 41 with a rigid ring.
Results: Late TR progression (≥2/4) occurred in eight (14.0%) of flexible band patients, and in nine (22.0%) rigid ring patients. Multivariate analysis did not identify the superiority of one annuloplasty device over the other to prevent recurrent TR. Multivariate risk predictors of late TR progression were late atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-12.0), and recurrent mitral regurgitation; HR; 4.46; 95%CI; 1.52-13.1). Freedom from TR progression at 5 years was 89.2% in atrial fibrillation-free patients compared to 56.8% in those with atrial fibrillation (log-rank, P = 0.018), and 89.8% in mitral regurgitation-free patients compared to 55.3% in those with recurrent mitral regurgitation (log-rank, P = 0.003).
Conclusions: A durable mitral valve repair and preservation of sinus rhythm are the keys to preventing late TR progression.
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.