Catheter-based treatment of tricuspid regurgitation: state of the art

Tricuspid valve regurgitation: current diagnosis and treatment

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is present in 1.6 million individuals in the United States and 3.0 million people in Europe. Functional TR, the most common form of TR, is caused by cardiomyopathies, LV valve disease, or pulmonary disease. The five-year survival with severe TR and HFrEF is 34%. Echocardiography can assess the TR etiology/severity, measure RA and RV size and function, estimate pulmonary pressure, and characterize LV disease. Management includes diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and aldosterone antagonists. Surgical annuloplasty or valve replacement should be considered in patients with progressive RV dilatation without severe LV dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Transcatheter repair/replacement is possible in patients with a LVEF <40%, dilated annuli, and impaired RV function. The diagnosis and treatment of TR, including coaptation, annuloplasty devices and prosthetic valves, success rates, morbidity/mortality, and trials are discussed. Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair/replacement is an emerging therapy for high-risk patients with TR who would otherwise have a dismal clinical prognosis.

Transcatheter Annular Approaches for Tricuspid Regurgitation (Cardioband and Others)

The tricuspid valve often is referred to as "the forgotten valve" because it frequently is managed conservatively due to poor prognostic outcomes with conventional surgical intervention, in particular, in high-risk patients. Nevertheless, a paradigm shift has occurred in recent years, due to a growing evidence base supporting the independent prognostic influence of severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) on patient outcomes. Both transcatheter valve replacement and valve repair have emerged as feasible and efficacious interventions for TR correction. Novel transcatheter repair techniques that replicate surgical annuloplasty are evolving as potentially lower-risk alternatives.

Anatomy of the Tricuspid Valve and Pathophysiology of Tricuspid Regurgitation

Transcatheter valve interventions have seen a significant increase in the past decade. The combination of improved techniques and available tools provides less invasive options supplementing surgical therapies. The tricuspid valve (TV) apparatus is a complex structure between the right atrium and the right ventricle; it generally consists of 3 leaflets (anterior, posterior, and septal) inserted in the fibrous tricuspid annulus and connected to the papillary muscle via the chordae tendinae. This article reviews TV anatomy, the pathophysiology of tricuspid regurgitation, and multimodality imaging to study TV, as well as provides an overview of transcatheter TV intervention.

Rediscovered and Unforgotten: Transcatheter Interventions for the Treatment of Severe Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

Tricuspid valve regurgitation is both globally prevalent and undertreated. Historically, surgical intervention for isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) was avoided despite the prevalence of TR, largely due to poor surgical outcomes and an incomplete understanding of how it independently affects mortality. Over the past two decades, TR has been shown by several studies to be an independent predictor of worse functional status and poor survival on long-term follow-up. During this same time period, transcatheter interventions for the treatment of valvular heart disease have evolved dramatically. While the transcatheter repair and replacement of the tricuspid valve in patients with severe TR remains in the early stages of investigation relative to the mitral or aortic valve, the field is rapidly expanding. Here, the authors review the field of transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions for severe TR, focusing on the orthotropic devices and valves currently available worldwide.