European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Aug 2007
What to expect after tricuspid valve replacement? Long-term results.
Current knowledge in long-term results of tricuspid valve replacement is limited. Present study reviews our experience from a consecutive series. ⋯ Any tricuspid disease not amenable to repair thus necessitating replacement is an unfortunate situation since both the short and long-term results of valve replacement are suboptimal in regard to those of left-sided valve replacements, probably due to different structural and geometrical characteristics of right ventricle and the low-pressure venous system hemodynamics. Etiology, clinical presentation and pulmonary vascular hemodynamics are major determinants of the outcome.