Object: To report our experience of anatomical repair for Ebstein’s anomaly.
Methods: Between December 1997 and October 2008, 100 (male 39, female 61) consecutive patients aged 9 months to 63 years were operated for Ebstein’s anomaly with anatomical repair technique, among them 7 had previous tricuspid repair surgery in other centers. Tricuspid incompetence was moderate in 26 patients and severe in 74. The main surgical technique includes excision of atrialized right ventricle, detach and repair the leaflet, transposition of the leaflet and anulus plication of tricuspid valve. In some patients the septal leaflet was severely hypoplastic or absent a new leaflet was created using autologous pericardium.
Results: All patients survived and recovered uneventfully. No patient died or had re-operation. Postoperative echocardiography showed that tricuspid incompetence disappeared in 87 and was mild in 13. Right ventricular function was good. Patients have been doing well during a mean follow-up of 48 months (2 months to 10 years). The latest follow up echocardiography showed that tricuspid incompetence disappeared in 63 patients, mild in 24, moderate in 10 and severe in 3.
Conclusions: The novel anatomical repair technique for the correction of Ebstein's anomaly was successfully applied in 100 consecutive patients with satisfactory early and midterm results. In most patients with Ebstein’s anomaly tricuspid valve replacement can be avoided.