ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the possible pathogenesis and report the postoperative results of the late tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after left cardiac valve replacement. Methods: 56 patients developed severe TR after left cardiac valve replacement, including 10 patients with normal prosthesis valve function (group A) and 46 patients with prosthesis valve dysfunction (group B). Four patients underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR) and 6 patients underwent mitral and aortic valve replacement (DVR) in group A. In group B, 36 patients received MVR, 4 aortic valve replacement (AVR) and 6 DVR. Ten patients underwent tricuspid De Vega annuloplasty and 46 patients' tricuspid valves were normal during the initial operation. The surgical treatment of tricuspid valve included tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) in 9 and tricuspid valve plasty (TVP) in 47 at the second operation. Results: Two patients died postoperatively with hospital mortality of 3.6%. The 54 survivors were followed up from 6 to 132 months, mean 79.4 months. The heart function improved significantly in 8 after TVR and 40 after TVP. However, echocardiography showed moderate TR in 5 and severe TR in 1 patient after TVP and medical treatment was needed. Conclusion: The sustained pulmonary hypertension, irreversible right heart impairment, resumption of left ventricular function and sustained atrial fibrillation may be responsible for the development of late TR after left cardiac valve replacement. TVR may achieve a reliable result for severe functional TR and rheumatic tricuspid valve lesion. In some patients with TVP during the follow up, the TR might become more serious.