The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 34, 710-713, Copyright © 1982 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
An improved de Vega tricuspid annuloplasty
E Imamura, H Ohteki and H Koyanagi
Constricting the tricuspid annulus to an optimal size and ensuring
competency of the suture in situ are essential to the performance of a
successful de Vega annuloplasty. An approach to this goal is presented.
Important maneuvers include placement of the inside suture just on the ring
portion, use of a 33 mm of 35 mm valve obturator to obtain an annulus of
the desired size, and ligation of the knots at their roots to prevent
potential loosening.