Original technique for tricuspid valve replacement by mitral homograft: Step‐by‐step approach and initial results

INTRODUCTION: Severe tricuspid regurgitation is associated with the progression of heart failure symptoms and poor survival. Surgical treatment of infective and prosthetic tricuspid valve endocarditis using homografts gives promising early and midterm results. Tricuspid valve replacement with a mitral homograft is a reasonable procedure with a challenging technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 15 patients underwent tricuspid valve replacement by mitral homograft in two departments from October 2020 to May 2022. The mean age was 36 [31-40.5]. In this article, we describe our original step-by-step technique and initial experience of successful use of native or cryopreserved mitral homografts for surgical treatment of tricuspid valve disease. RESULTS: There were no in-hospital and 30-day mortality, no postoperative bleeding, myocardium infarction, stroke, or sternal wound infection. Only one patient required permanent pacemaker implantation after redo surgery before discharge. The predischarge echocardiogram showed no residual tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in 14 cases (93.3%) and mild TR in 1 (6.7%) patient. All patients were discharged from the hospital without symptoms of endocarditis, with negative blood culture samples. CONCLUSION: Satisfactory initial clinical and hemodynamic results were achieved utilizing our technique. Mid- and long-term results are required to understand the place of homografts in tricuspid valve surgery.