Concomitant Tricuspid Annuloplasty During Degenerative Mitral Valve Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is common among patients undergoing surgery for degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) and is associated with adverse outcomes. The role of concomitant tricuspid annuloplasty (TA) during mitral valve repair (MVr) remains controversial. To address this, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies published up to November 2024, comparing isolated MVr versus MVr with concomitant TA in patients with DMR (CRD42024627505). Reconstructed Kaplan-Meier time-to-event data were analyzed using Cox frailty models to evaluate survival, TR progression, and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. Sensitivity analyses included randomized or propensity-matched cohorts. A total of 5 studies, including 3,123 patients, were analyzed. Early (1-year) and long-term (up to 15 years) survival were comparable between isolated MVr and concomitant TA (97.3% vs. 96.9%, HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.76 to 2.08, p = 0.381 and 72.2% vs 79.7%, HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.96 to 1.72, p = 0.092, respectively). Concomitant TA significantly reduced the risk of ≥moderate TR progression (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.70, p = 0.003). However, PPM implantation was higher with TA during the perioperative period (7.4% vs 1.1%, HR 5.76, 95% CI 3.13 to 10.59) and remained elevated at 2 years. Sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. In conclusion, in patients undergoing MVr for DMR, concomitant TA effectively prevents TR progression without compromising survival but is associated with increased PPM implantation. These results support a selective, guideline-directed approach to TA based on patient- and disease-specific risk factors.