Comparison of Ring and Suture Annuloplasty in the Treatment of Tricuspid Regurgitation

Background: Significant TR is common in patients with cardiac disease and because of its prognostic importance, TV came to the spotlight in the last decades. Functional TR is mostly treated when undergoing left-sided valve surgery, whereas idiopathic TR surgery is uncommon. The aim of this study is to compare the durability of tricuspid valve annuloplasty techniques, and to explore the optimal method for TV repair surgery. Methods: 1005 patients who underwent tricuspid valve repair from February 2012 to March 2019, were retrospectively studied. The patients had tricuspid valve repair while receiving surgery for other cardiac conditions. The study population was divided into Suture group (n=483, 48.1%), and Ring group (n=522, 51.9%). Data variation between and within the groups was analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and Radit analysis. Results: At two-year follow-up, in the Suture group, none/trace TR subjects were 63.9%, and 1.4% had severe TR; In the Ring group were: 63.9% none/trace, and 0.6% severe. Both groups’ two-year follow-up TR status was significantly different with preoperative TR status (p0.05). Conclusions: Both annuloplasty techniques have good short-term outcomes. However, suture annuloplasty deteriorates faster than ring annuloplasty, making the latter to be the ideal technique for TV repair.