OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of prophylactic heart donor tricuspid annuloplasty in patients after heart transplantation with bicaval anastomosis. METHODS: From 2002 to 2005, 20 patients undergoing heart transplantation with bicaval anastomosis and with a survival rate over 6 months were deliberately selected. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I - 10 patients who underwent prophylactic heart donor tricuspid annuloplasty by the De Vega technique; and Group II - 10 patients did not undergo annuloplasty. In both groups, presurgical clinical characteristics were the same. The tricuspid regurgitation degree was evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and it was qualified from 0 to 3 (0=absent, 1=mild, 2=moderated, 3=severe). Myocardial performance was evaluated by ventricular ejection fraction and invasive hemodynamic study performed during routine endomyocardial biopsies. RESULTS: Mean clinical follow-up was 14.6±4.3 (6 and 16) months. There was only one death in group II. It was not related to annuloplasty. Mean degree of tricuspid regurgitation in Group I was 0.4±0.6 and in Group II was 1.6±0.8 (p < 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between both groups in right atrium pressure, which was higher in Group II. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the limitations of the study, the prophylactic tricuspid annuloplasty in heart donor reduced the degree of valvar regurgitation in the medium term after heart transplantation with bicaval anastomosis, in spite of not interfering with the allograft hemodynamic performance in the period under consideration.
Tricuspid valve insufficiency; Heart transplantation; Tissue donors; Tricuspid valve
