Repair of rheumatic tricuspid valve disease: predictors of very long-term mortality and reoperation.

BACKGROUND: We examined predictors of reoperation and late mortality in patients undergoing tricuspid valve repair for rheumatic disease. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2007, 299 consecutive patients (mean age 50.8 + or - 13.7 years) underwent surgical repair of the tricuspid valve for multivalvular organic rheumatic disease. A total of 184 patients was found to have mitral and tricuspid valve disease, 108 triple valve disease, 5 isolated tricuspid lesion, and 2 aortic and tricuspid valve disease. Prosthetic ring annuloplasty was performed in 78 patients, commissurotomy and ring annuloplasty in 82, isolated commissurotomy in 10, suture annuloplasty in 105, and commissurotomy and suture annuloplasty in 24. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality was 7.4%. Previous valve surgery and reoperation for bleeding were risk factors for early death. Late mortality was 51.2%, in the majority of patients due to cardiac causes. There was a median follow-up of 16.4 years (range, 6 months to 34 years) and cumulative follow-up of 5,432 patients per year (96.7% complete). Age, New York Heart Association functional class IV and postclamping time were predictive factors for late mortality. At 25 years, the Kaplan-Meier survival was 26.6% + or - 4.2%. A total of 106 patients required valve reoperation. Age older than 40 years was a protective factor for reoperation. At 25 years, Kaplan-Meier freedom from reoperation was 35.0% + or - 5.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Repair of the tricuspid valve in patients with rheumatic valve disease can be performed with acceptable early results, but progression of rheumatic disease is associated with a high incidence of valve dysfunction and mortality in the long term.

Combined mitral and tricuspid valve repair in rheumatic valve disease: fewer reoperations with prosthetic ring annuloplasty.

BACKGROUND: We examined predictors of early and very long-term outcome after combined mitral and tricuspid valve repair for rheumatic disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1974 and 2002, 153 consecutive patients (mean age, 46.0+/-13.2 years) underwent combined mitral and tricuspid valve repair for rheumatic disease. Mitral disease was predominantly stenosis (82.3%); 100% of patients had organic tricuspid valve disease, predominantly with regurgitation (53.6%) or some degree of tricuspid stenosis (46.4%). Mitral repair included commissurotomy in 132 patients (86.3%) associated with a flexible annuloplasty in 108. Tricuspid valve repair included flexible annuloplasty in 68 patients (44.4%) and suture annuloplasty in 20 patients (13.1%) combined with tricuspid commissurotomy in 62 patients (42.5%). Thirty-day mortality was 5.9%. Late mortality was 60.1%. The median follow-up was 15.8 years (interquartile range, 6 to 19 years). Follow-up was 97.9% complete. Age>65 years was the only predictor of late mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival probability was 74.4% at 10 years and 57.0% at 15 years. Sixty-three patients required valve reoperation (mitral valve, 59; tricuspid valve, 38). Predictors of valve reoperations were either mitral or tricuspid commissurotomy without associated prosthetic ring annuloplasty. At 20 years, Kaplan-Meier freedom from reoperation was 48.5+/-5.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Combined mitral and tricuspid valve repair in rheumatic disease showed satisfactory early results. Long-term results were poor because of high mortality and a high number of valve-related reoperations. The use of prosthetic ring annuloplasty was significantly associated with a reduced incidence of both mitral and tricuspid valve reoperations.