Eligibility for Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Interventions in Patients With Tricuspid Regurgitation

It remains unclear what proportion of patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) are suitable candidates for transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) in clinical practice.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of eligibility for tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) and transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) devices among patients with TR.

The tricuspid valve anatomy of all consecutive patients with TR who were considered for TTVI in local heart team conferences was retrospectively reviewed. According to current expert consensus, the anatomical feasibility for T-TEER was classified into 3 groups: favorable, feasible, and unfavorable anatomy. Clinical and anatomical eligibility for TTVR was evaluated in patients with cardiac computed tomographic (CCT) images.

Among 491 patients, 99 (20.2%) and 235 (47.9%) were considered to have favorable and feasible anatomy for T-TEER, respectively. In contrast, 157 patients (32.0%) had unfavorable anatomy for T-TEER. The most common reason for unfavorable anatomy for T-TEER was large coaptation gap width (66.2%), followed by anteroposterior TR jet location (62.4%). Among 327 patients with CCT images, 205 (62.7%) were judged to be clinically or anatomically ineligible for TTVR, mainly because of tricuspid annuli larger than commercially available prosthesis sizes (65.4%). Combined echocardiographic and CCT assessment showed that 23.2% of the patients with TR were ineligible for both T-TEER and TTVR.

Of 491 patients requiring TTVI, 32.0% had unfavorable anatomy for T-TEER, and 37.3% of patients with CCT images were eligible for TTVR. Despite the emergence of TTVR devices, 23.2% of patients with TR remained ineligible for both T-TEER and TTVR.