De Vega annuloplasty for tricuspid valve repair in posttraumatic tricuspid insufficiency — 16 years experience

Posttraumatic tricuspid insufficiency (PTI) is an uncommon clinical condition and frequently difficult to diagnose due to latent development of cardiac symptoms. The selection of an appropriate surgical treatment for PTI has been controversial. A simple and effective method of choice is De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty. We report here the excellent surgical result of a tricuspid valve repair using De Vega annuloplasty at a 16-year follow-up in a patient who developed PTI as a complication of blunt chest trauma. In conclusion De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty can be recommended for tricuspid reconstruction.