Tricuspid Valve Repair for Traumatic Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation over 30 Years after Causative Trauma

(Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Akashi Medical Center, Akashi, Japan, and Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Takatsuki General Hospital, Takatsuki, Japan)

Tatsuro Matsuo Satoshi Tobe Taro Hayashi
Hiroki Nosho Hironobu Sugiyama Masahiro Yamaguchi
Nobuhiro Tanimura
A 28-year-old man was involved in a traffic accident that sandwiched his chest between a wall and a truck. Shortness of breath and other symptoms started to appear several years later. Echocardiography at that time showed severe tricuspid regurgitation due to a failed valve and ruptured chordae in the anterior leaflet. He was followed up with medication. Leg edema developed at the age of 62 years and worsening symptoms of heart failure over a period of 6 months indicated a need for surgery. Intraoperative findings revealed the ruptured chordae attached to the anterior leaflet and a scarred myocardium at the septomarginal trabeculation. The tricuspid valve was surgically repaired, the anterior leaflet chordae were surgically reconstructed, an annuloplasty ring was implanted to address the tricuspid regurgitation and atrial fibrillation was treated using the Maze procedure. Surgery 34 years after trauma has improved hemodynamic cardiac function and normalized the cardiac rhythm in this patient.
  Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 42:329-332(2013)

Keywords:blunt chest trauma, tricuspid valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve repair, anterior leaflet chordae rupture