Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation: Current Understanding and Novel Treatment Options.

Abstract

Managing patients with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation (TR) remains extremely challenging, with a lack of consensus on when and how to treat it. Tricuspid valve pathology has been disregarded for a very long time because of the established belief that treating left-sided heart diseases would lead to the resolution or significant improvement of TR. Initially considered benign, severe TR has been found to be a strong predictor of prognosis. Despite the increasing prevalence and the disabling nature of this disease, the great majority of patients with clinically significant TR have seldom been considered for structural interventions. Numerous surgical and transcatheter treatment options are now available; however, optimal timing and procedural selection remain crucial aspects influencing outcomes. According to recent evidence in the literature, early referral is associated with good short and long-term outcomes, and various predictors of favorable outcomes following either surgical or transcatheter treatment have been identified. Evaluation by a multidisciplinary heart team with expertise in tricuspid valve disease is of paramount importance to identify adequate treatment for every patient.