Surgical experience with right ventricular tumors in 17 patients.

PURPOSE

Resection of cardiac tumors in the right ventricle sometimes requires valve plasty or replacement. We retrospectively studied surgical treatment for right ventricular tumors.

METHODS

The study cohort consists of 210 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for a cardiac tumor in our hospital between January 1990 and December 2008. Clinical findings were reviewed retrospectively, and a follow-up study was performed.

RESULTS

Of 210 cardiac tumors, 17 were located in the right ventricle. Of these17 right ventricular (RV) tumors, 13 were endocardial or intracavitary tumors, and 4 were epicardial tumors. Of the 17 patients, 5 underwent concomitant tricuspid valve surgery. Three of the five patients had endocardial tumors and underwent Kay annuloplasty; the other two had epicardial tumors, one of whom underwent reconstruction of the tricuspid annulus by suturing of an autologous pericardial strip, and one had tricuspid valve replacement with a 31-mm Hancock valve. Of the five patients with concomitant tricuspid valve surgery, none had an increase to grade 3 tricuspid regurgitation during follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Tricuspid valve annuloplasty for resection of RV tumors may be necessary, even for palliative operations, to improve the hemodynamics.