Behavior of echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular function after tricuspid surgery

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 19447
• Main Authors: Rodríguez Torres, Diego José, Quintero, Lucía Torres, Segura-Rodriguez, Diego, Jimenez, Jose Manuel Garrido, Molina, Maria Esteban, Martínez, Francisco Gomera, Escobar, Eduardo Moreno, Orta, Rocío García
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 14.11.2022; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Cardiac Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Echocardiography - adverse effects; Heart; Humans; Prospective Studies; Surgery; Tricuspid valve; Ventricle; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - diagnostic imaging; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - etiology; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - surgery; Ventricular Function, Right
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24048-1

Evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function after tricuspid valve surgery is complex. The objective was to identify the most appropriate RV function parameters for this purpose. This prospective study included 70 patients undergoing cardiac and tricuspid valve (TV) surgery. RV size and function parameters were determined at 3 months and 1-year post-surgery. Categorical variables were analyzed with the McNemar test and numerical variables with the Student's t-test for related samples or, when non-normally distributed, the Wilcoxon test. Spearman's rho was used to determine correlations between variables at 3 months and 1 year. RV diameters were reduced at 3 months post-surgery and were then unchanged at 1 year. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and S' wave values were worse at 3 months and then improved at 1 year (t-score-2.35, p 0.023; t-score-2.68; p 0.010). There was no significant reduction in free wall longitudinal strain (LS) or shortening fraction (SF) at 3 months (t-score 1.421 and - 1.251; p 0.218 and 0.172), and they were only slightly below pre-surgical values at 1 year. No relationship was found between RV function parameters and mortality or major complications. During the first few months after TV surgery, LS may be a more appropriate parameter to evaluate global ventricular function in comparison to TAPSE. At 1 year, good correlations are observed between TAPSE, S' wave, and LS values.