左心瓣膜置换术后远期三尖瓣关闭不全的外科处理

目的探讨左心瓣膜置换术后远期三尖瓣关闭不全(TR)发生的可能机制以及外科治疗方法的选择和结果.方法 56例左心瓣膜置换术后远期发生TR行再次瓣膜手术的病人,10例人工瓣膜功能正常(A组)者中行二尖瓣置换(MVR)4例,主动脉瓣、二尖瓣双瓣置换(DVR)6例;46例人工瓣膜功能障碍(B组)者中MVR 36例,主动脉瓣置换(AVR)4例, DVR 6例.在A、B两组中,46例第1次手时三尖瓣未见明显异常,10例第1次手术时已行DeVega三尖瓣成形(TVP),第2次手术时发现缝线断裂3例,缝线撕脱7例.56例TR病人再次手术时9例行三尖瓣替换(TVR),其中6例三尖瓣呈风湿性改变;47例行TVP.结果 TVP和TVR各死亡1例,病死率3.6%.54例获随访,随访时间6～132个月,平均(79.4±34.8)个月.8例TVR病人术后心功能恢复良好,46例TVP者40例为轻度TR,5例出现中度TR,仍需强心、利尿药维持,1例再次出现重度TR.结论左心瓣膜置换术后远期TR可能与持续肺动脉高压、右心室不可逆损害、三尖瓣风湿性病变、左心功能的恢复情况以及持续心房纤颤有关.重度功能性TR和三尖瓣风湿性病变者行TVR的疗效可靠.随访发现部分TVP病人功能性TR仍有逐渐加重趋势.     

风湿性心脏病左心瓣膜置换术后晚期重度三尖瓣关闭不全的外科治疗

目的 探讨风湿性心脏病(风心病)左心瓣膜置换术后晚期重度三尖瓣关闭不全(TR)的发生机制、手术指征、手术方法和疗效.方法 风心病左心瓣膜置换术后5～16年出现重度TR病人37例,均有不同程度的右心衰竭表现,左室射血分数(LVE)0.52±0.05,肺动脉收缩压(37.6±7.8)mm Hg.经右胸前外侧切口或正中切口再次手术行三尖瓣置换(TVR)25例,改良DeVega环缩术4例,带环成形术8例.结果 术后住院死亡4例,其中死于呼吸衰竭2例、多脏器功能衰竭和肾功能衰竭各1例.随访2个月～10年,死于右心衰竭3例,严重心律失常1例;生存的25例临床症状均有明显改善.结论 左心瓣膜置换术后晚期重度TR与肺动脉高压持续存在、风湿性三尖瓣病变、初次未作三尖瓣环缩术或方法不确实等有密切关系.左心功能良好、右室收缩功能无严重损害,无严重肺动脉高压是再次手术的指征,并主张尽早行TR纠正术.保留全瓣结构行三尖瓣置换有助于提高手术疗效.影响术后长期疗效仍是右室收缩功能.     

Surgical assessment of tricuspid valve replacement for severe tricuspid regurgitation without stenosis.

Eight patients undergoing tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) without stenosis were subjected to the study. Four patients had primary TR due to trauma, infective endocarditis, or Ebstein's anomaly, and the other 4 had secondary TR associated with mitral valve lesions. The right heart pressure as well as clinical manifestations due to right heart failure showed deteriorated values in both the primary and secondary TR groups, though pulmonary arterial pressure was higher in the latter group. In 2 patients, initial annuloplasty procedures could not reduce TR sufficiently and were instantly abandoned for TVR. These 2 patients, one with congenital and one with secondary TR, died of intractable right heart failure early postoperatively, while the remaining 6 patients are alive to date, in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class I, during the follow-up period of 6-192 (mean, 104) months. The 2 patients who died had shown a longer morbid duration and a lower preoperative right ventricular systolic function indicated by stroke work to pulmonary artery resistance. This paper might suggest that an earlier surgical intervention in severe TR is recommended before the right ventricular function deteriorates.     

De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty for tricuspid regurgitation in children

BACKGROUND: Significant tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) occurs with other congenital heart defects, typically after repair of right-sided obstructive lesions. Since 1991, we applied the De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty technique for TR in children. METHODS: Forty-one children, aged 5 months to 22.7 years (mean, 9.9 years) underwent 42 De Vega tricuspid annuloplasties for moderate or severe TR during correction of other heart defects. One child had a De Vega during primary ventricular septal defect repair. The remaining patients had prior repair of tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary atresia, or both (19 patients), double-outlet right ventricle (6 patients), pulmonary stenosis (4 patients), pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum (3 patients), complete atrioventricular septal defect (3 patients), and other diagnoses (6 patients). At the time of the De Vega, 37 patients (88%) had pulmonary valve replacement or right ventricular to pulmonary artery conduit replacement. Other procedures included aortic or mitral repair or replacement (6 patients), atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect closure (5 patients), pulmonary arterioplasty (6 patients), and tracheoplasty (1 patient). RESULTS: There were no deaths at follow-up of 3.4 +/- 2.1 years; 1 child required cardiac transplantation 17 months postoperatively. Early postrepair echocardiography quantified TR as absent or mild (34 patients; 81%), mild-to-moderate (4 patients), moderate (3 patients), and severe (1 patient). The most recent echocardiogram showed moderate TR in 11 patients and severe TR in 2 patients (both with recurrent right ventricular hypertension). One child required tricuspid valve replacement 3 years later and 1 child had redo De Vega at the time of conduit re-replacement. No other child has symptomatic TR, significant tricuspid stenosis, or De Vega-related pacemaker implantation. CONCLUSIONS: The De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty safely provides excellent relief of TR, usually in children undergoing pulmonary valve replacement or conduit replacement. Although echocardiographic TR tends to increase with time (especially with right ventricular hypertension), it rarely requires reintervention or causes symptoms.     

三尖瓣替换术及早期结果

目的 探讨三尖瓣替换术（TVR）的手术适应证和人工瓣膜的选择。方法 1997年3月至2004年6月,共施行TVR42例,其中20例有心脏手术史。手术适应证：①自然瓣膜损毁无法修复（34例）;②进行性三尖瓣病变（2例）;③修复后残余的瓣膜功能不全仍严重影响心脏功能（6例）。合并下列情况时,积极选择TVR：肺血管阻力中、重度升高;手术后有残余的左心功能不全;有三尖瓣成形手术史。人工心脏瓣膜替换术包括：单纯TVR30例,主动脉瓣和二尖瓣加TVR8例,二尖瓣加TVR3例,主动脉瓣加TVR1例。三尖瓣位人工瓣使用双叶型机械瓣28枚,生物瓣14枚。其他合并的心脏手术包括：先天性心脏畸形修复10例,人工瓣周漏修补、黏液瘤切除、冠状动脉搭桥各1例。结果 全组手术病死率17％（7／42）,手术并发症发生率31％（13／42）。术后心功能（NYHA分级）：Ⅰ级21例,Ⅱ级10例,Ⅲ、Ⅳ级各1例。术后晚期死亡2例。结论 当三尖瓣的病变程度严重,修复把握不大,特别是伴有肺血管病变、左心功能不良、左心病变未能完全矫治时,应积极行TVR;人工瓣应选择双叶型和机械瓣或生物瓣,特别是后者。     

Hemolytic anemia due to aortic valve regurgitation after mitral valve replacement

A 50-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of heart failure (NYHA III) due to mitral valve regurgitation (MR) with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR). She had a history of chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis (peritoneal dialysis, homodialysis) since 1996. Cardiac catheterization and ultrasonic cardiography showed severe MR (Sellers III), severe TR and PH (mean pressure 33 mmHg). So we performed mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty (DeVega). Frequent blood transfusion was needed because severe hemolytic anemia appeared after operation. Ultrasonic cardiography demonstrated moderate aortic valve regurgitation (AR) with no paravalvular prosthetic leakage. We diagnosed hemolytic anemia due to AR. We performed aortic valve replacement. Hemolytic anemia improved soon after second operation. We investigated the mechanical process of the AR. She had a very short subaortic curtain (5.9 mm) compared with the average (8.7 +/- 2.1 mm: mean +/- SD) of cardiac patients. We think that we must be very careful with suture to short subaortic curtain. In addition measurement of subaortic curtain before operation is very useful.     

More than ten years' follow-up of the Hancock porcine bioprosthesis in Japan.

From February 1975 through October 1981, 256 Hancock porcine bioprostheses (Johnson & Johnson Cardiovascular, King of Prussia, Pa.) (60 aortic, 169 mitral, and 27 pulmonary/tricuspid position) were implanted in 220 patients (104 male and 116 female, aged 9 to 67 years; mean 43.3) at Kyushu University Hospital in Japan. The procedures include 41 aortic valve replacements, 121 mitral valve replacements, 4 pulmonary valve replacements, 6 tricuspid valve replacements, and 48 combined valve replacements (31 aortic plus mitral, 13 mitral plus tricuspid, and 4 aortic plus mitral plus tricuspid). Hospital mortality was 6.4%. Follow-up was 98% during 8 to 14 (mean 10.5) years. Cumulative follow-up was 1836 patient-years and 2078 valve-years. At 10 years the overall actuarial survival rate, including hospital morality, was 70% +/- 3%, and freedom from valve-related mortality with sudden death was 87% +/- 3%. More than half of the current survivors required no anticoagulant therapy. Freedom from thromboembolism or anticoagulant-related hemorrhage (or both) and prosthetic valve endocarditis was common. Freedom from structural valve failure and reoperation declined more than 9 years after replacement of left-sided heart valves but not after replacement of right-sided heart valves. Sixty-seven patients underwent 68 repeat operations, and there were four deaths (5.9%). The rate of freedom from overall valve-related complications at 10 years was 62% +/- 8% for aortic valve replacement, 53% +/- 5% for mitral valve replacement, 80% +/- 13% for pulmonary/tricuspid valve replacement, and 42% +/- 9% for combined valve replacement. There was a significant difference between pulmonary/tricuspid valve replacement and combined valve replacement (p less than 0.05). The Hancock bioprosthesis is suitable for the replacement of valves in the right side of the heart but not for combined valve replacement.     

左心瓣膜置换术后孤立性三尖瓣关闭不全的外科治疗

目的 探讨左心瓣膜置换术后的患者远期发生孤立性三尖瓣关闭不全 （TR） 再次手术治疗的危险因素和远期效果。 方法 回顾性分析2000年1月至2013年6月广东省心血管病研究所左心瓣膜置换术后发生远期孤立性重度TR行再次手术65例患者的临床资料,其中男12例,女53例;年龄37～72 （52.3±8.0） 岁,其中合并心房颤动 （AF） 59例。功能性TR 61例,风湿性TR 4例。术前心功能Ⅱ级6例,Ⅲ级40例,Ⅳ级19例。两次手术的间隔时间1～26 （11.2±4.7） 年。行三尖瓣置换术 （TVR） 55例,三尖瓣成形术 （TVP） 10例。 结果 全组患者住院死亡11例 （16.9%）。单因素分析结果显示：男性、术前右心室内径、血浆白蛋白 （ALB）、结合胆红素 （DBil）、体外循环 （CPB） 时间及术前心功能Ⅳ级与手术死亡显著相关;而术前心胸比率 （C/T）、TR面积、左心室射血分数 （LVEF）、肺动脉收缩压 （PAs）、术前血红蛋白 （HGB）、肌酐 （Cr）、总胆红素 （TBil）、丙氨酸氨基转移酶 （ALT） 及两次手术间隔时间均与手术死亡无明显相关性。多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,与手术早期死亡相关的独立危险因素为术前心功能Ⅳ级 （OR=7.23,95% CI：1.57-33.25,P=0.01）。54例生存患者中共有50例获得随访,随访率为92.6%,随访时间1～160 （47.2±43.3） 个月。随访期间死亡5例,其中行TVR患者死于心力衰竭3例、主动脉瓣梗阻1例;TVP1例患者死于心跳骤停。行TVR患者1年和5年生存率分别为95%±3%和89%±7%;行TVP患者1年和5年生存率分别为100%和80%±18%（P=0.92）。Cox回归分析结果显示,与术后远期死亡相关的独立危险因素为术前血肌酐值（HR=1.10,95% CI：1.03-1.17,P＜0.01）。 结论 左心瓣膜置换术后发生远期孤立性三尖瓣关闭不全行再次手术的死亡率与术前患者全身状况和心功能独立相关,外科手术治疗应在严重心力衰竭发生之前进行。术后5年生存率较好,术后远期死亡主要与术前肌酐水平相关。     

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for the evaluation of mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve repair A tool to optimize surgical outcome

The present study reviews the clinical applicability and usefulness of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during valve repair. Intraoperative TEE was performed in 48 consecutive patients, who were divided into three groups: 1. mitral valve repair (MVR), 2. aortic valve repair (AVR), 3. tricuspid valve repair (TVR). Residual valve regurgitation was assessed by color Doppler echocardiography on a scale from 0 to 4. The ratios of the jet area (JA) to the left- and right-atrial areas (JA/LAA and JA/RAA) were analyzed before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). In group 1, 14 patients were scheduled for MVR, of which 4 patients underwent valve replacement and 10 MVR. Post-repair TEE studies showed a significant decrease of mitral regurgitation. In 2 of the 10 patients, TEE demonstrated severe residual regurgitation requiring valve replacement during the same thoracotomy. In group 2, 11 patients underwent aortic commissurotomy. Post-repair TEE showed an increase in the systolic opening diameter and opening area of the aortic valve. One patient underwent valve substitution because of severe aortic regurgitation. In group 3, 23 patients were scheduled for TVR. In 3 of them TEE showed no significant regurgitation thus rendering tricuspid valve surgery unnecessary. Twenty patients underwent TVR of whom two showed unacceptable post-repair regurgitation requiring further surgery. Eighteen patients showed a significant reduction of valve regurgitation after TVR, and a further reduction was achieved by adjusting the tricuspid annuloplasty under TEE guidance.     

二尖瓣主动脉瓣三尖瓣同时置换治疗重症风湿性瓣膜病

目的　总结二尖瓣主动脉瓣三尖瓣同期置换治疗重症风湿性心脏瓣膜病的手术疗效。方法　 1999年 6月至 2 0 0 1年 6月 94 1例病人进行瓣膜置换术 ,其中 2 4例同期进行二尖瓣、三尖瓣和主动脉瓣置换 ,占瓣膜置换病人的 2 5 5 %。 2 4例病人中女 17例 ,男 7例 ;年龄 18～ 5 9岁 ,平均 36岁 ;体重 37～ 5 6kg。其中 8例曾行二尖瓣闭式扩张术、11例合并左房血栓、16例病人合并有肝肿大 (肋下 2～ 8cm)和下肢水肿、8例合并有腹水。X线胸片示心胸比率为 0 6 6～ 0 91。超声检查示三尖瓣均有严重反流 ,反流面积为 4 2～ 34 0cm2 ,平均 (16 8± 9 3)cm2 。术前心功能III级 9例 ,VI级 15例。 6例病人因药物不能控制心衰而行急诊换瓣手术。结果　死亡 1例 ,死亡率为 4 2 %。术后 1周、3、6个月复查超声心动图示各心腔内径较术前明显缩小。出院者均得到随访 ,随访时间 2 0～ 36个月 ,平均 2 6 4个月。术后心功能I～II级2 0例 ,III级 4例。术后 3～ 12个月复查超声心动图未见机械瓣功能障碍及血栓形成。结论　对于联合瓣膜病变 ,三尖瓣有严重器质性病变的病人 ,在进行二尖瓣主动脉瓣置换的同时进行三尖瓣置换 ,有利于术后右心功能的恢复 ,能更好地改善心脏的血流动力学特性 ,改善心功能 ,并有利于术后病人的康     

Left ventricular-right atrial communication resulting from infective endocarditis

We report a rare case of acquired left ventricular-right atrial communication resulting from infective endocarditis. A 57-year-old male with aortic regurgitation due to infective endocarditis was referred to our hospital because of severe congestive heart failure. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiography showed aortic, mitral and tricuspid severe regurgitations. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography revealed left ventricular-right atrial shunt. The fistula was located at the atrioventricular membranous septum. The communication site from the left view was below the commissure between the right coronary cusp and non-coronary cusp, and from the right view was just above the tricuspid annulus of the septal leaflet. The fistula was closed directly with mattress suture and aortic valve replacement and both mitral and tricuspid ring annuloplasty were carried out simultaneously. The postoperative course was uneventful. It is important to inspect shunts carefully in echocardiography of infective endocarditis with massive regurgitations.     

Right atrial to left atrial shunt through foramen ovale during pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

A 62-year old female patient in whom paradoxical right atrial to left atrial shunt flow through the foramen ovale was detected by transesophageal echocardiography during pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic cholecystectomy was reported. This patient had a history of mitral valve replacement with residual tricuspid valve regurgitation. It was considered that the onset of paradoxical interatrial shunting through the foramen ovale might be caused not only by mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure but also by pneumoperitoneum, especially in patients with heart disease, even if the intra-abdominal pressure was maintained at 12 mmHg.     

三尖瓣置换治疗Ebstein心脏畸形

目的 确定Ｅｂｓｔｅｉｎ畸形病人瓣膜转换术的手术适应证。方法 ３１例５～４６岁病人,其中１０例曾接受过修复术,全部手术均在全麻体体外循环下完成,４例心脏不停跳。分别转换生物瓣２枚,国产人工机械瓣膜１３枚和进口人工机械瓣６枚;同时对其他合并畸形进行修复。结果 体外循环转流时间５６～１３６ｍｉｎ,２７例主动脉阻断时间２９～８３ｍｉｎ。１２例病人手术结束时直视下测压,右心房压１５．８／７．５ｍｉｎＨｇ（     

A case of aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis with aortic root aneurysm

A 72-year-old male who underwent patch closure of atrial septal defect and aortic valve replacement (AVR) 10 years ago was diagnosed as aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis for recurrent fever, coexisting paravalvular leakage and aortic root aneurysm by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Operative findings showed mechanical prosthesis was dehiscenced in part and limited subannular aneurysm that was healed macroscopically. The hole of the aneurysm was closed by direct suture. Re-AVR, mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty for complicating mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation was performed. The patient is now doing well for one year after the reoperation.     

A case of aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis with aortic root aneurysm]

A 72-year-old male who underwent patch closure of atrial septal defect and aortic valve replacement (AVR) 10 years ago was diagnosed as aortic prosthetic valve endocarditis for recurrent fever, coexisting paravalvular leakage and aortic root aneurysm by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. Operative findings showed mechanical prosthesis was dehiscenced in part and limited subannular aneurysm that was healed macroscopically. The hole of the aneurysm was closed by direct suture. Re-AVR, mitral valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty for complicating mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation and tricuspid valve regurgitation was performed. The patient is now doing well for one year after the reoperation.     

改良三尖瓣环成形技术治疗功能性重度三尖瓣反流

目的 总结采用改进瓣环成形技术加用人工毡条加固的方法进行三尖瓣成形的手术效果。方法 2008年1月至2010年6月,76例平均年龄53.3岁。合并左心瓣膜疾病的重度三尖瓣关闭不全患者接受手术。其他病变包括：二尖瓣病变52例,主动脉瓣病变5例,二尖瓣、主动脉瓣双瓣病变19例,左房血栓22例,房颤73例。心功Ⅱ级6例,Ⅲ级47例,Ⅳ级23例。行二尖瓣置换52例,主动脉瓣置换5例,二尖瓣及主动脉瓣置换19例,左房血栓清除22例,左房折叠21例,左心耳缝合68例。左心病变处理完,心脏复跳后进行三尖瓣成形。先对隔前交界进行折叠环缩,用3-0带垫片双头针prolene线,在交界区作水平褥式缝合并打结。进出针均在瓣环上,缝合距离隔瓣5～6 mm,前瓣10 ～ 12 mm。然后按类似DeVega成形方法对后瓣瓣环区域重建,从前后交界前叶侧开始,顺时针方向缝至隔后交界隔叶侧,于三尖瓣瓣口中置入27 ～ 29 mm测瓣器行打结,再取3～5 mm宽毡条用两根2-0 prolene线间断缝合,对已环缩后瓣部分进行加固。生理盐水注射若无明显反流,完成手术。术后1周进行心脏超声心动图检查。患者出院后每6个月进行复查。结果 全组患者无死亡。术后中心静脉压明显降低,由术前16 mm Hg(1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa)降至术后8 mm Hg(P =0.0021);肺动脉收缩压由术前59 mm Hg降至术后24 h的41 mm Hg,P=0.038。术后7天超声心动图检查56例三尖瓣无反流,18例三尖瓣微量或少量反流,2例三尖瓣中量反流,无残余中度以上三尖瓣关闭不全发生。右房室直径较术前明显变小。左室射血分数提高,但与术前差异无统计学意义。所有患者心功能均明显改善,术前右心功能不全体征均明显缓解或消失。术后随访1～36个月,除1例三尖瓣反流由出院时轻度变成中度外,其余均无明显变化。患者复查时均无明显肝淤血或双下肢水肿。结论 采用改进的瓣环成形方法,合理地保留了重建后三尖瓣的外形,使不均匀扩张的三尖瓣的各个部分都得到改善,继而增加了三尖瓣前叶和隔叶在收缩期的对合面积。既保留了自体三尖瓣环的弹性,也减小了远期因缝线松脱断裂导致关闭不全复发的危险性。     

Surgery for the valvular disease in children

We report the results and long-term follow up in 34 children (17 girls and 17 boys, aged 12 days to 13 years, average age 3.3 years, average body weight 11.7 kg) who underwent valvular surgery in the period between May 1989 and November 1996. Operative mortality was 11.8%. Actuarial survival curves (including hospital mortality) indicate a 68.6% survival rate at 5 years and that 64.7% of patients are free from reoperation at 5 years. For aortic regurgitation two patients applied aortic valvuloplasty and four applied aortic valve replacement. Nine children had aortic stenosis, three of them had balloon valvuloplasty, seven had valvotomy, two had aortic valve replacement. Ten patients were treated for mitral regurgitation. There were nine valvuloplasty and four mitral valve replacement including three times of reoperation. One membranous pulmonary atresia and seven pulmonary stenosis children had valvotomy. There were four cases of tricuspid disease. One had tricuspid valve stenosis with pulmonary stenosis, three had severe tricuspid regurgitation who applied tricuspid valve replacement. Mortality was high in the critical AS, severe MR and TVR groups. Patients who survived the surgery and had no complications showed satisfiable results.     

Mechanical valve thrombosis in the tricuspid position--reoperative management of 2 cases

Because valve thrombosis occurred after the tricuspid valve replacement with the mechanical valve, we performed replacement of the mechanical valve with the bovine pericardial valve in two cases. Case 1: The patient, at 13 years old, received open-heart surgery to correct infundibular stenosis. At 23 years of age, decortication and tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) with a phi 31 mm Bj?rk-Shiley valve were performed due to constrictive pericarditis and tricuspid regurgitation developed after the initial operation. Thrombosis of the mechanical valve occurred after the TVR. Treatment with urokinase for the thrombolytic therapy failed to improve the valve opening. Finally 12 years after the TVR, replacement of the mechanical valve with a phi 27 mm Carpentier-Edwards bovine pericardial valve was performed. Case 2: The patient, at 21 years old, received open-heart surgery to close an atrial septal defect. At 40 years of age, mitral and tricuspid valve replacements were performed because regurgitation developed in both valves. The mitral and tricuspid valves were replaced with phi 27 mm and 31 mm St. Jude Medical valves, respectively. Thrombosis of the mechanical valve used for the TVR occurred 2 months after the replacement. The mechanical valve was replaced with a phi 27 mm Carpentier-Edwards bovine pericardial valve. In both cases, subjective symptoms improved and prosthetic valve complications did not occur after re-replacement with the bovine pericardial valve. These cases suggested that for TVR a bovine pericardial valve of sufficient size would be better to select than a mechanical valve.     

New quantitative method for evaluating tricuspid regurgitation

A new quantitative method for evaluating regurgitation (TR) is proposed in order to select the most suitable treatment for functional TR associated with acquired valvular heart disease. The regurgitant volume per beat (VTR) is calculated using two-dimensional color Doppler and continuous-wave Doppler echocardiographies. In a study of 48 patients, preoperative VTR showed a significant correlation with tricuspid annular diameter at end-diastole, right atrial mean pressure and right ventricular end-diastolic pressure. Patients were classified into 3 groups according to preoperative VTR: Group I, VTR less than 10 cc (no. 18); Group II, VTR = 10-20 cc (no. 18); Group III, VTR greater than or equal to 20 cc (no. 12). This classification correlated well with the intraoperative findings of TR. In all Group I patients, VTR decreased without any tricuspid valve repair. In Group II, 17 of 18 patients underwent tricuspid annuloplasty, and showed a decrease in VTR to below 10 cc after surgery. In Group III, 10 underwent tricuspid annuloplasty and 2 tricuspid valve replacement. Three of the 10 with tricuspid annuloplasty showed a significant degree of postoperative VTR (10-20 cc). These 3 patients as well as the 2 with tricuspid valve replacement showed a preoperative peak-to-peak pressure difference across the tricuspid valve during the ejection phase (RVsp-TAv) of less than or equal to 20 mmHg and tricuspid annular diameter at end-diastole of greater than or equal to 50 mm. In conclusion, no tricuspid valve repair was required in Group I (TR I). For group II (TR II) patients, tricuspid annuloplasty was necessary and adequate for TR correction. For Group II (TR III) patients, a more substantial procedure like tricuspid valve replacement should be performed, especially when the preoperative RVsp-RAv is less than or equal to 20 mmHg and tricuspid annular diameter at end-diastole is greater than or equal to 50 mm.     

Management of quadruple valves for severe infective endocarditis; report of a case

A 74-year-old man had pustulant bilateral arthritis complicated with sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Microbiologic study of blood sample showed Streptococcus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). He was complicated with postulant diskitis since then. Medical treatment for DIC and administration of antibiotics were performed. Preoperative echocardiography revealed massive aortic regurgitation and vegetation of aortic valve, moderate pulmonary regurgitation and vegetation of pulmonary valve, massive mitral regurgitation, massive tricuspid regurgitation. He was diagnosed as infective quadruple valve endocarditis. He received aortic valve replacement, pulmonary valve replacement, mitral valve repair and tricuspid valve repair. Postoperative echocardiography showed satisfactory function of bioprosthesis. Postoperative course was uneventful.