Transcatheter treatment of functional tricuspid regurgitation: preliminary experiences

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common finding in patients with left-sided valvular or myocardial disease. However, many patients with severe symptomatic TR are deemed inoperable or at high surgical risk, often due to comorbidities and the need for redo sternotomy. Thus, despite the poor prognosis associated with this condition, few patients undergo isolated surgical tricuspid valve repair. Therefore, there is an unmet clinical need for less invasive therapeutic options for these patients. In recent times, several transcatheter therapies have emerged for treating TR, with promising safety and preliminary efficacy results. In this review, we describe the main features of and clinical results associated with such devices, and describe the ongoing and future studies in the field.