The patient was a 34-year-old man with corrected transposition of the great arteries and situs inversus who was admitted with dyspnea. He had undergone ventricular septal defect closure and pulmonary valve commissurotomy at the age of 15. Preoperative examinations revealed severe tricuspid (systemic atrioventricular valve) insufficiency associated with dysfunction of the systemic (anatomical right) ventricle. The tricuspid valve orifice was shown to open dorsally by computed tomography. Because of 90° clockwise rotation of the heart, surgery was performed through right side thoracotomy. Tricuspid valve replacement with preservation of all leaflets and chordae tendineae was performed successfully, and the patient had an uneventful recovery after surgery.
© 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.