Treatment for severe functional tricuspid regurgitation: annuloplasty versus valve replacement

2023 Korean Society of Echocardiography position paper for the diagnosis and management of valvular heart disease, part II: mitral and tricuspid valve disease

This manuscript represents the official position of the Korean Society of Echocardiography on valvular heart diseases. This position paper focuses on the diagnosis and management of valvular heart diseases with referring to the guidelines recently published by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology. The committee sought to reflect national data on the topic of valvular heart diseases published to date through a systematic literature search based on validity and relevance. In the part II of this article, we intend to present recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of mitral valve disease and tricuspid valve disease.

Early and long-term outcomes of bioprosthetic versus mechanical tricuspid valve replacement: A nationwide population-based study

OBJECTIVES

We compared early and long-term clinical outcomes of bioprosthetic versus mechanical tricuspid valve replacement in a nationwide study based on the database from the National Health Insurance Service.

METHODS

Of 1425 patients who underwent tricuspid valve replacement from 2003 to 2018, 1241 patients were enrolled after excluding retricuspid valve replacement, complex congenital heart disease, Ebstein anomaly, and age less than 18 years at operation. Bioprostheses (group B) and mechanical prostheses (group M) were used in 562 patients (45.3%) and 679 patients (54.7%), respectively. The median follow-up duration was 5.6 years. Propensity score matching was performed. Subgroup analysis was performed in patients aged 50 to 65 years.

RESULTS

There was no difference in operative mortality or postoperative complications between the groups. All-cause mortality was higher in group B (7.8 vs 4.6 per 100 patient-years, hazard ratio, 1.75, 95% confidence interval, 1.33-2.30, P < .001). The cumulative incidence of stroke was higher in group M (hazard ratio, 0.65, 95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.99, P = .043), whereas the cumulative incidence of reoperation was higher in group B (hazard ratio, 4.20, 95% confidence interval, 1.53-11.54, P = .005). In terms of the age-dependent hazard of all-cause mortality, group B demonstrated a higher hazard than group M below the age of 75 years, and it was statistically significant between 54 and 65 years of age. In the subgroup analysis, all-cause mortality was also higher in group B.

CONCLUSIONS

Mechanical tricuspid valve replacement demonstrated higher long-term survival than bioprosthetic tricuspid valve replacement. In particular, mechanical tricuspid valve replacement showed significantly higher overall survival between 54 and 65 years of age.

Isolated Tricuspid Valve Surgery for Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation

BACKGROUND

 Severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) adversely affects long-term survival; however, isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery has been rarely performed due to high operative mortality. In addition, the previous literature included heterogeneous TR etiologies. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate early and long-term outcomes of isolated TV surgery for functional TR.

METHODS

 An electronic search was performed to identify all relevant studies. Baseline characteristics, perioperative variables, and clinical outcomes were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

 This meta-analysis included seven studies. Pooled analyses showed that 68% (35, 89) of patients had preoperative atrial fibrillation or flutter, and 58% (11, 94) had a history of left-sided valve surgery. Seventy-three percent (65, 80) of patients had at least one physical exam finding of right-sided heart failure, and 57% (44, 69) were in New York Heart Association class III or IV. TV replacement was more common than repair. In TV replacement, bioprosthetic valve (39%, 13, 74) was more common than mechanical prosthesis (22%, 18, 26). The early mortality rate was 7%. Twenty percent of patients required a permanent pacemaker postoperatively. The overall 1- and 5-year survival rates were 84.5 and 69.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

 More than half of the patients who underwent isolated TV surgery for functional TR had undergone left-sided valve surgery and had significant heart failure symptoms at the time of surgery. Further studies on the surgical indication for concomitant TV surgery at the time of left-sided valve surgery and the appropriate timing of surgery for isolated functional TR are needed to improve survival.

Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair Versus Replacement: Predictors of Mortality on the National Level

OBJECTIVE

Isolated tricuspid valve surgery (TVR) is rarely performed, and literature reports are confined to small sample sizes and old studies. Thus, the advantage of repair over replacement could not be determined. We aimed to evaluate repair and replacement outcomes along with predictors of mortality for TVR on a national level.

METHODS

All adult patients (18+ years old) who underwent TVR from 2011 to 2020 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample dataset. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included complications, length of stay (LOS), hospitalization cost, and discharge disposition.

RESULTS

Over a 10-year period, 37,931 patients had TVR and predominantly underwent repair (n = 25,027, 66.0%). In comparison with patients who underwent tricuspid replacement, more patients with a history of liver disease and pulmonary hypertension presented for repair surgery, and fewer patients had endocarditis and rheumatic valve disease (P < 0.001). The repair group had less mortality, less stroke, shorter LOS, and reduced cost, while the replacement group had fewer myocardial infarctions (P < 0.05). However, the outcomes were not different for cardiac arrest, wound complications, or bleeding. After excluding congenital TV disease and adjusting for relevant factors, TV repair was associated with a reduced in-hospital mortality by 28% (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.72, P = 0.011). Older age increased mortality risk by 3-fold, prior stroke by 2-fold, and liver diseases by 5-fold (P < 0.001). Patients undergoing TVR in recent years had a better chance of survival (aOR = 0.92, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

TV repair has better outcomes than replacement does. Patient comorbidities and late presentation play an independently significant role in determining outcomes.

Minimally Invasive Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair After Left-Sided Valve Surgery: A Single-Center Experience

Background

Tricuspid regurgitation after left-sided valve surgery was associated with terrible outcomes and high perioperative mortality for surgical treatment. In current years, minimally invasive isolated tricuspid valve repair is increasingly performed in our institution to address tricuspid regurgitation.

Methods

Thirty-seven consecutive patients with previous left-sided valve surgery underwent minimally invasive isolated tricuspid valve repair in our institution between November 2017 and December 2020. Twenty-nine patients(78.4%) were women and the mean age of patients was 58.4 ± 8.5 years. Follow-up was 100% complete with a mean follow-up time of 17.2 ± 9.5 months.

Results

Both the in-hospital and 30-day mortalities were 2.7%. The overall NYHA class had improved significantly during the follow-up (p &lt; 0.001). The grade of TR had decreased before discharge (p &lt; 0.001) and during the follow-up (p &lt; 0.001) compared with the preoperative level although severe TR was recurrent in one patient.

Conclusions

Minimally invasive isolated tricuspid valve repair has acceptable early and midterm outcomes, may be the preferred surgical option to address tricuspid regurgitation after previous left-sided valve surgery when it is feasible.

Midterm comparison between different annuloplasty techniques for functional tricuspid regurgitation

BACKGROUND

Several tricuspid annuloplasty (TA) techniques are used for concomitant repair of functional tricuspid regurgitation. This study aims to compare the midterm clinical and valvular outcome between 3 annuloplasty techniques.

METHODS

TA was performed in 307 patients (age 75.9±10.4y) with a rigid ring (RA=184), a flexible band(FA=80) and a suture annuloplasty(SA=43). Study endpoints were survival and recurrence of TR > grade 2 at 5 years.

RESULTS

TA was performed concomitantly to mitral valve surgery (n=136, 44.3%), aortic valve surgery(n=18, 5.9%), CABG(n=13, 4.2%) or a combined procedure(n=140, 45.6%). The majority had TR>grade 2(78.5%) without significant differences between TA groups(p=0.878). Within a median follow-up of 3.4 y(IQR 2.2-5.0) the 5-year survival was 80.1±3.4% for RA, 83.5±4.7% for FA and 85.1±6.5% for SA(p=0.471). Independent risk factors for late mortality were renal impairment(HR 2.83, CI 1.16-6.89, p=0.022), diabetes(HR 2.10, CI 1.07-4.11, p=0.030) and severe RV dysfunction by TAPSE <10 mm(HR 11.52, CI 4.98-26.66, p<0.001). Pulmonary hypertension was nearly significant(HR 1.92, CI 0.98-3.74, p=0.057). The cumulative incidence of TR recurrence at 5 years was 15.9%, 19.4% and 21.1% for respectively RA, FA and SA(p=0.342). Severe pulmonary hypertension(HR 2.64, 95%CI 1.38-5.07, p=0.003) preoperative TR grade(HR 1.82, 95%CI 1.01-3.27, p=0.046) and residual TR>grade 2 at discharge(HR 3.38, 95%CI 1.64-6.96, p=0.001) were predictive for later TR recurrence, regardless of the annuloplasty technique.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that advanced pathophysiological right circulatory impairment like severe pulmonary hypertension and RV dysfunction affects the midterm survival as well as TR recurrence rate more than the annuloplasty technique used for concomitant repair of functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Repair versus replacement for the surgical correction of tricuspid regurgitation: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Tricuspid valve repair (TVr) has both a theoretical advantage in preserving right ventricular function and disadvantages such as a higher risk of repair failure in the long-term compared with tricuspid valve replacement (TVR). This study was conducted to compare the results of TVr with those of TVR to find an optimal treatment option.

METHODS

A literature search of 5 databases was performed. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were tricuspid reoperation and valve-related events. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the risk of bias, year of publication and proportions of patients with tricuspid regurgitation Grade ≥3, functional aetiology and isolated tricuspid valve surgery. Publication bias was explored using the funnel plot and Egger's test.

RESULTS

Seventeen retrospective studies involving 4561 patients (TVr group = 3432 patients and TVR group = 1129 patients) were included. A pooled analysis showed that the risk of all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the TVR group than in the TVr group [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.59 (1.26-2.00)]. There were no significant differences in tricuspid valve reoperation in 6 studies and valve-related events in 5 studies between the TVR and TVr groups [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.30 (0.88-1.91) and 1.47 (0.91-2.38), respectively]. None of the subgroup analyses demonstrated a significant difference in the hazard ratio of all-cause mortality. No publication bias was identified for the primary and secondary outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis indicates that TVr is more beneficial compared with TVR in terms of all-cause mortality. From the available data, TVr is not associated with an increased risk of tricuspid reoperation compared with TVR.

Comparative early outcomes of tricuspid Valve repair versus replacement for secondary tricuspid regurgitation

Background

Comparative outcome data on tricuspid valve repair (TVr) versus tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) for severe secondary tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are limited.

Methods

We used a national inpatient sample to assess in-hospital morbidity and mortality, length of stay and cost in patients with severe secondary TR undergoing isolated TVr versus TVR.

Results

A total of 1364 patients (national estimate=6757) underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery during the study period, of whom 569 (41.7%) had TVr and 795 (58.3%) had TVR. There was no difference in the prevalence of major morbidities between the two groups, except for liver disease and hepatic cirrhosis, which were more common in the TVR group. Before propensity matching, in-hospital mortality was similar between patients who underwent isolated TVr and TVR (8.1% vs 10.8%, p=0.093), but the incidence of postoperative morbidities differed: TVR was associated with higher rates of permanent pacemaker implantation and blood transfusion, while TVr was associated with more acute kidney injury. After rigorous propensity score matching, TVR was associated with significantly higher rates of in-hospital death (12% vs 6.9%, p=0.009) and permanent pacemaker implantation (33.7% vs 11.2%, p<0.001). Postoperative morbidities and length of stay, however, were not different between the two groups. Nonetheless, cost of hospitalisation was 16% higher in the TVr group.

Conclusions

In patients undergoing isolated surgery for secondary TR, TVR is associated with higher in-hospital mortality and need for permanent pacemaker compared with TVr. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of the type of surgery on the short-term and long-term mortality in this complex undertreated population.

Isolated tricuspid regurgitation: outcomes and therapeutic interventions

Isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) can be caused by primary valvular abnormalities such as flail leaflet or secondary annular dilation as is seen in atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension and left heart disease. There is an increasing recognition of a subgroup of patients with isolated TR in the absence of other associated cardiac abnormalities. Left untreated isolated TR significantly worsens survival. Stand-alone surgery for isolated TR is rarely performed due to an average operative mortality of 8%–10% and a paucity of data demonstrating improved survival. When surgery is performed, valve repair may be preferred over replacement; however, there is a risk of significant recurrent regurgitation after repair. Existing society guidelines do not fully address the management of isolated TR. We propose that patients at low operative risk with symptomatic severe isolated TR and no reversible cause undergo surgery prior to the onset of right ventricular dysfunction and end-organ damage. For patients at increased surgical risk novel percutaneous interventions may offer an alternative treatment but further research is needed. Significant knowledge gaps remain and future research is needed to define operative outcomes and provide comparative data for medical and surgical therapy.

Current Treatment Strategies for Tricuspid Regurgitation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Tricuspid regurgitation is common; however, recognition and diagnosis, clinical outcomes, and management strategies are poorly defined. Here, we will describe the etiology and natural history of tricuspid regurgitation (TR), evaluate existing surgical outcomes data, and review the evolving field of percutaneous interventions to treat TR.

RECENT FINDINGS

Previously, the only definitive corrective therapy for TR was surgical valve repair or replacement which is associated with significant operative mortality. Advances in percutaneous valve repair techniques are now being translated to the tricuspid valve. These novel interventions may offer a lower-risk alternative treatment in patients at increased surgical risk. Significant TR adversely impacts survival. Surgery remains the only proven therapy for treatment of TR and may be underutilized due to mixed outcomes data. Early experience with percutaneous interventions is promising, but large clinical experience is lacking. Further study will be required before these therapies are introduced into broader clinical practice.

Repair or Replacement for Isolated Tricuspid Valve Pathology? Insights from a Surgical Analysis on Long-Term Survival

Background

Long-term follow-up data concerning isolated tricuspid valve pathology after replacement or reconstruction is limited. Current American Heart Association guidelines equally recommend repair and replacement when surgical intervention is indicated. Our aim was to investigate and compare operative mortality and long-term survival in patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve repair surgery versus replacement.

Material/Methods

Between 1995 and 2011, 109 consecutive patients underwent surgical correction of tricuspid valve pathology at our institution for varying structural pathologies. A total of 41 (37.6%) patients underwent tricuspid annuloplasty/repair (TAP) with or without ring implantation, while 68 (62.3%) patients received tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) of whom 36 (53%) were mechanical and 32 (47%) were biological prostheses.

Results

Early survival at 30 days after surgery was 97.6% in the TAP group and 91.1% in the TVR group. After 6 months, 89.1% in the TAP group and 87.8% in the TVR group were alive. In terms of long-term survival, there was no further mortality observed after one year post surgery in both groups (Log Rank p=0.919, Breslow p=0.834, Tarone-Ware p=0.880) in the Kaplan-Meier Survival analysis. The 1-, 5-, and 8-year survival rates were 85.8% for TAP and 87.8% for TVR group.

Conclusions

Surgical repair of the tricuspid valve does not show survival benefit when compared to replacement. Hence valve replacement should be considered generously in patients with reasonable suspicion that regurgitation after repair will reoccur.

Tricuspid Valve Replacement vs. Repair in Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to compare early and late outcomes of tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) and tricuspid valve repair (TVr) for severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR).Methods and Results:From 1994 to 2012, 360 patients (mean age, 58±13 years) with severe TR underwent TVR (n=97, 27%) or TVr (n=263, 73%). Among them, 282 patients (78%) had initial rheumatic etiology, and 307 patients (85%) had preoperative atrial fibrillation. The TVR group had higher total bilirubin, higher baseline central venous pressure, and higher incidence of previous cardiac operation. There was no difference in early mortality (TVR:TVr, 3.1%:3.4%, P=0.877). Ten-year overall survival (TVR:TVr, 72%:70%, P=0.532) and 10-year freedom from cardiac death (TVR:TVr, 76%:77%, P=0.715) were not significantly different between groups. After applying stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting methods, there were still no significant differences in early mortality (P=0.293), overall survival (P=0.649) or freedom from cardiac death (P=0.870). Higher NYHA functional class, total bilirubin (>2 mg/dL), initial central venous pressure, and cardiopulmonary bypass time were independent predictors of early mortality. Older age, LV dysfunction (EF <40%), and hemoglobin <10 g/dL were independent predictors of late cardiac mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with TVr, TVR had acceptable early and late outcomes in patients with severe TR. TVR can be considered as a valid option with acceptable clinical outcomes in patients who are not suitable candidates for TVr.

Reoperations after tricuspid valve repair: re-repair versus replacement

BACKGROUND

Data demonstrating results of reoperation after initial tricuspid valve repair are scarce. We evaluated outcomes of tricuspid reoperations after tricuspid valve repair and compared the results of tricuspid re-repair with those of tricuspid valve replacement (TVR).

METHODS

From 1994 to 2012, 53 patients (56±15 years, male:female =14:39) underwent tricuspid reoperations due to recurrent tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after initial repair. Twenty-two patients underwent tricuspid re-repair (TAP group) and 31 patients underwent TVR (TVR group).

RESULTS

Early mortality occurred in 6 patients (11%). Early mortality and incidence of postoperative complications were similar between the 2 groups. There were 14 cases of late mortality including 9 cardiac deaths. Five- and 10-year free from cardiac death rates were 82% and 67%, respectively, without any intergroup difference. Recurrent TR (> moderate) developed in 6 TAP group patients and structural valve deterioration occurred in 1 TVR group patient (P=0.002). Isolated tricuspid valve surgery (P=0.044) and presence of atrial fibrillation during the follow-up (P=0.051) were associated with recurrent TR after re-repair. However, the overall tricuspid valve-related event rates were similar between the 2 groups with 5- and 10-year rates of 61% and 41%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Tricuspid valve reoperation after initial repair resulted in high rates of operative mortality and complications. Long-term event-free rate was similar regardless of the type of surgery. However, great care might be needed when performing re-repair in patients with atrial fibrillation and those who had isolated tricuspid valve disease due to high recurrence of TR after re-repair.