Three dimensional reconstruction (shape and motion) of tricuspid annulus in normals and in patients after tricuspid annuloplasty with a flexible ring

Knowledge of tricuspid annular shape, size and motion is critical for surgical repair of the tricuspid valve. However these characteristics for the valve are poorly understood. The authors reconstructed the three dimensional shape and motion of the tricuspid annulus in 2 normals and 2 patients who underwent tricuspid valve repair using a flexible annuloplasty ring. The data were acquired with EKG and respiratory gating. The algorithm allows for quantitative analysis of annular area and excursion over a cardiac cycle. The preliminary results show that the shape and motion of tricuspid annulus is preserved by the flexible tricuspid valve annuloplasty ring.