[A new surgical approach to tricuspid annuloplasty: an extra-cardiac suture technique "AV-gathering"]

An extra-cardiac approach of annuloplasty for tricuspid insufficiency was carried out on cadavers. This procedure could effectively result in diminution of tricuspid valve ring circumference while not causing any decrease in right coronary blood flow. This approach could not only produce experimental tricuspid stenosis but also have a potential application in clinical functional tricuspid insufficiency. The procedure as well as the clinical implication were discussed.