Poor Late Outcomes After Tricuspid Valve Repair in a Single Ventricle: Experience of 103 Patients

Background: Outcomes of tricuspid valve repair in single-ventricle palliation are poor. We sought to identify the impact of repair technique and primary mechanisms of regurgitation on outcomes after surgery. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records across 4 centers undertaking single-ventricle palliation in Australia and New Zealand was performed. Patients with a dominant right functional single ventricle undergoing tricuspid valve repair between January 1991 and March 2019 were identified. Results: One hundred three patients met inclusion criteria, with a median follow-up duration of 6.7 years (interquartile range, 1.5-12.4). Mechanism of regurgitation was structural in 30 patients, functional in 28 patients, and a combination of both in 24 patients (21 missing). Surgical repair technique consisted of annuloplasty in 42 patients, leaflet and/or subvalvular repair in 12 patients, and a combination of both in 44 patients (5 missing). Thirty-four patients died, and 5 underwent heart transplantation. Fifty-two patients experienced valve repair failure (22 re-repairs, 7 replacements, and 23 recurrent regurgitation). Of 17 patients with early valve repair failure (within 30 days of repair), 14 died. Freedom from death or transplant at 5 years after repair for patients with a successful repair was 79% (95% confidence interval, 70%-90%) compared with 15% (95% confidence interval, 6%-37%) for those with a failed repair (P < .01; hazard ratio, 8.95; 95% confidence interval, 4%-18%). Conclusions: Tricuspid valve repair failure occurs frequently in patients with a single ventricle and is associated with a significant risk of mortality. The persistence of moderate regurgitation after repair mandates reoperation.