Tricuspid Regurgitation: 2015 Reflections and Re-evaluation

The tricuspid valve is, in fact, anatomically and functionally more complex than its left-sided counterpart-the mitral valve. Patients may develop tricuspid regurgitation from a variety of mechanisms. While current guidelines provide a very basic approach to tricuspid regurgitation (TR) evaluation, more recent techniques, particularly 3D echocardiography, have provided novel insights into how we can ascertain the mechanism and severity of tricuspid regurgitation, how the tricuspid valve adapts to disease and, importantly, how we assess the effects of TR on right ventricular size and function. We anticipate that these advances will soon yield dividends that will help us decide on approaches to treatment and timing of surgery.