Safety of the right atrial approach for combined mitral and tricuspid valve procedures.

Patients undergoing operation for combined mitral and tricuspid valvular disease may have the repair performed through the right atrium and the interatrial septum. Although the transseptal method is an established procedure, recent reports have stressed the disadvantages of this operation and underscored the risk of the development of complete atrioventricular dissociation with this technique. A review of our results with this approach confirms the efficacy and safety of this method. The surgical protocols used are described.