Performing Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Repair at the Time of Mitral Valve Operations Is Not Associated With Increased Operative Mortality.

Background: The performance of concomitant tricuspid valve repair (TVr) at the time of mitral valve repair or replacement (MVRR) has previously been associated with elevated short-term risk. Outcomes were assessed at incremental grades of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) to quantify the contemporary risk of concomitant TVr.

Methods: Between July 2011 and June 2014, 88,473 patients undergoing MVRR were examined using The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. Outcomes with or without TVr, after isolated MVRR (n = 62,118) and MVRR with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG [n = 26,355]), were independently analyzed at three levels of TR: none-mild, moderate, and severe. Risk-adjusted morbidity and mortality associated with the performance of concomitant TVr were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression.

Results: The TR was graded as none-mild in 74.3% of patients (65,769 of 88,473), moderate in 17.2% (15,222 of 88,473), and severe in 8.5% (7,482 of 88,473). The rate of TVr by TR grade was 3.5% (2,308 of 65,769) for none-mild, 30.6% (4,661 of 15,222) for moderate, and 75.6% (5,654 of 7,482) for severe. Overall risk-adjusted occurrence of any morbidity associated with performance of TVr was increased in both groups (MVRR odds ratio [OR] 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24 to 1.48; and MVRR plus CABG OR 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.49). However, at all grades of TR, TVr was not associated with increased risk-adjusted mortality (MVRR OR 0.99, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.17; and MVRR plus CABG OR 1.04, 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.27).

Conclusions: In contemporary patients, concomitant TVr is not associated with a risk-adjusted increase in mortality, regardless of TR severity. A more liberal approach to TVr at the time of MVRR may be justified when long-term benefits are thought to outweigh incremental short-term morbidity risk. Further investigation of longitudinal TVr outcomes is warranted.