A Case of Surgical Repair for End-Stage Tricuspid Regurgitation with Severe Liver Dysfunction and Hepatic Encephalopathy

• Published in: Japanese Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery Vol. 51; no. 3; pp. 142 - 146
• Main Authors: Eishi, Junichiro, Miura, Takashi, Matsumaru, Ichiro, Taguchi, Hiroko, Inoue, Taku, Tanigawa, Akihiko, Kitamura, Tessyo, Nakaji, Syun, Obase, Kikuko, Eishi, Kiyoyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society for Cardiovascular Surgery 15.05.2022
• Subjects: intra-aortic balloon pumping; liver dysfunction; pacemaker implantation; spiral suspension; tricuspid regurgitation
• ISSN: 0285-1474; 1883-4108
• DOI: 10.4326/jjcvs.51.142

We report the case of a patient with severe tricuspid regurgitation and severe liver dysfunction who was successfully treated by tricuspid valve repair with spiral suspension and perioperative management of high cardiac output. The patient was a 77-year-old woman who presented with chronic atrial fibrillation with bradycardia (heart rate approximately 50 bpm). She had been diagnosed with severe tricuspid valve and mitral valve regurgitation at the age of 74. As her heart failure and hepatic failure grew worse, and hepatic encephalopathy also occurred, she was admitted to the hospital. Her Child-Pugh score for liver disease was Grade C at the preoperative assessment, suggesting that she was in the high-risk category for open heart surgery. Therefore, further medical treatment was required before selecting the surgical treatment. After the implantation of a pacemaker (VVI mode, 80 bpm), the cardiac output increased with a cardiac index of 5.17 L/min/m2 compared with 2.97 L/min/m2 prior to pacemaker implantation. Furthermore, the symptoms of heart failure improved and total bilirubin decreased from 3.9 mg/dl to 1.7 mg/dl, and surgery was performed. Tricuspid regurgitation was treated with spiral suspension, and mitral regurgitation due to annular dilation was treated with annuloplasty. Following the surgery, the cardiac index was maintained from 4.3 L/min/m2 to 5.8 L/min/m2 with central venous pressure below 10 mmHg by the assistance of intra-aortic balloon pumping. The patient was extubated 30 h after surgery, and was discharged on postoperative day 54. At the time of discharge, total bilirubin was 1.5 mg/dl. At 1.5 post-operative years, the patient is New York Heart Association functional Class II and tricuspid valve regurgitation is mild.