[Operative results of tricuspid valve replacement with St. Jude Medical prosthesis]

Since 1974, 14 patients underwent tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) with prosthetic heart valves. Hardy's operation was undergone in 2 patients with Ebstein's anomaly and mitral valve surgery or multiple valve surgery were undergone in 9 patients with rheumatic valvular disease, concomitantly. Four types of prosthetic heart valves were used in the tricuspid position, i.e. 2 Starr-Edwards prostheses, 1 Hancock xenograft, 1 Björk-Shiley prosthesis and 12 st. Jude Medical prostheses. The operative mortality rate was 14.3% (2/14) and 2 hospital deaths were due to low cardiac output syndrome. Twelve survivors have been followed with a maximum follow-up of 13 years and the mean of 4.7 years. There were 3 late deaths due to congestive heart failure and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) of the aortic Björk-Shiley prosthesis. There was 1 PVE of the tricuspid Starr-Edwards prosthesis and 1 thrombosis of the tricuspid Björk-Shiley prosthesis, but no thrombosis and no other valve-related complications of SJM prostheses in the tricuspid position. The post-operative NYHA function class improved satisfactorily in 9 survivors. Judging from our relatively satisfactory post-operative results in TVR cases using SJM prostheses, SJM prosthesis in the tricuspid position is one of advisable prosthesis to get satisfactory hemodynamic improvement post-operatively.