ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the long-term morphologic and functional changes of the tricuspid valve after mitral valve replacement. Methods The tricuspid valve function was evaluated by Doppler echocardiography in 903 patients who underwent mitral valve replacement during recent 10 years. Tricuspid regurgitation and annular dilatation in various degrees were found in all patients preoperatively. 686 patients underwent Kay annuloplasty or DeVega annuloplasty, 106 patients underwent tricuspid ring annuloplasty, and 201 untreated. Results Among 201 patients who did not undergo tricuspid annuloplasty, severe tricuspid regurgitation developed in 46 during 2 to 3 years follow-up. One out of 16 patients who underwent tricuspid ring annuloplasty developed moderate tricuspid regurgitation 2 years after operation. Of 686 patients who underwent Kay annuloplasty or DeVega annuloplasty, 150 developed moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation during 3~5 years after operation. Conclusion Tricuspid annular dilatation, right heart impairment and severe pulmonary hypertension are responsible for the development of late tricuspid regurgitation after mitral valve replacement. For the patient who underwent mitral valve replacement ,tricuspid annuloplasty should be performed when annular dilatation was found, even without tricuspid regurgitation and tricuspid ring annuloplasty should be performed in patient with severe tricuspid regurgitation and obvious tricuspid annular dilatation.