Doppler echocardiography assessment of tricuspid valve prosthesis with normal function and with dysfunction due to obstruction
Tello Osorio, R.A.; Cuan Juan, V.M.; Monteverde Grether, C.; González Carmona, V.M.; Astudillo, R.; Farell, J.; Cuan Pérez, M.
Archivos del Instituto de Cardiologia de Mexico 62(4): 373-378
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-3785 PMID: 1417356 Document Number: 402107
In order to know the normal ranges of the maximum velocity and the pressure half-time between normal functioning tricuspid prostheses and malfunctioning tricuspid prostheses due to obstruction, we studied 25 patients with tricuspid prostheses (11 mechanical and 14 biological); they were divided in 2 groups: group I: 14 patients without clinical evidence of malfunction and; group II: 11 patients with malfunction due to obstruction confirmed by catheterization, surgery and/or necropsy. The peak gradient was estimated by the modified Bernoulli equation and the prosthetic valve area by the pressure halftime method. the mean peak velocity in group I was 147 +/- 18 cm/sec versus 165 +/- 16 cm/sec (p NS) in group II. The mean pressure half-time in group I was 124 +/- 20 msec versus 355 +/- 48 msec (p less than 0.001) in group II. 1. A pressure half-time greater than 200 msec is very suggestive of malfunction due to obstruction (p less than 0.001). 2. There are normo-functioning tricuspid prostheses with prolonged pressure half-time, and the values that divides these groups from those with malfunction is small: 199 and 244 msec, that is why we suggest that every patient has to have his her own echocardiographic control in the immediate postoperative period.