Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions: Current Approaches and Future Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Interventional Cardiology
• Structural Heart Disease

Background:

• Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is often functional, stemming from left-sided heart disease or pulmonary hypertension, causing right-sided heart failure symptoms.
• Significant tricuspid disease limits patients, yet many are poor candidates for traditional surgery or reoperation.
• Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions are emerging as a promising alternative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current transcatheter strategies for tricuspid valve intervention.
• To summarize existing evidence and explore future directions in this field.

Main Methods:

• Review of current feasibility and early-phase clinical trials for transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.
• Discussion of anatomical challenges specific to the tricuspid valve.

Main Results:

• Investigational approaches include edge-to-edge repair, coaptation enhancement, annuloplasty, caval valve implantation, and percutaneous valve replacement.
• Initial data indicate that transcatheter techniques are relatively safe and lead to functional improvement.

Conclusions:

• Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions represent a significant advancement for patients with significant TR who are not surgical candidates.
• Further research and clinical studies are needed to optimize these emerging therapies for the 'forgotten valve'.