[Effect of tricuspid annuloplasty in mitral/aortic valve replacement on the clinical aspects and global function of the right heart chamber].

The clinical improvement after mitral or aortic valve surgery is primarily due to the correction of the aortic/mitral valve function and the subsequent decrease of pulmonary artery pressure. The hemodynamic effect of an additional tricuspid annuloplasty, however, is still unclear. To assess the influence of a tricuspid annuloplasty using DeVega- or Carpentier-technique on the clinical outcome, hemodynamics, and right ventricular function in patients with moderate to severe tricuspid insufficiency, 38 patients were studied pre- and 11 +/- 4 months postoperatively. The clinical degree of left heart failure was graded according to the criteria of the NYHA. The extent of right heart failure (RHF) was determined using a clinical score from 0 (no signs) to 3 (severe RHF with pleural effusion/ascites). Mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm), end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVI), and ejection fraction (RVEF) of the right ventricle using biplane cineventriculography, as well as the angiographic and dopplerechocardiographic degree of tricuspid insufficiency were determined. The patients were assigned to three groups: gr.I (n = 12): preoperatively no tricuspid insufficiency (TI), gr. II (n = 12): with preop. TI and without tricuspid annuloplasty (TA), gr. III (n = 14): with preop. TI and TA. The patients of all three groups improved postoperatively from NYHA functional class III to class II (p less than 0.001). The clinical score of RHF decreased from 0.8 +/- 0.5 to 0.3 +/- 0.5 in gr. I, from 1.4 +/- 1.1 to 0.6 +/- 0.7 in gr. II, and from 1.7 +/- 1.0 to 0.8 +/- 0.8 in gr. III (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)