TITLE:
Valve Repair Using Autologous Pericardium in Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis
AUTHORS:
Kuldeep Singh, Mingli Wang, Sean A. Marco, David D’Alessandro
KEYWORDS:
Cardiac; Endocarditis; Heart Valve, Autograft; Pericardium; Tricuspid Valve
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery,
Vol.2 No.2,
June
25,
2012
ABSTRACT: Tricuspid valve endocarditis is a significant cause of valve-related morbidity and mortality. Prosthetic valve reconstruction can be costly and requires life-long anticoagulation. We present our experience with surgical management of an endocarditis damaged tricuspid valve leaflet in an intravenous drug user. We were able to excise the infected tissue and successfully repair the native valve using autologous pericardium, effectively eliminating the need for prostheses and associated complications. Our case report demonstrates that tricuspid valve reconstruction, using autologous pericar-dium, is a suitable option in patients with tricuspid endocarditis.