Transcatheter Tricuspid Interventions: Past, Present, and Future

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) etiologies include primary valve pathology or secondary (functional) regurgitation from increased hemodynamic pressure or volume on the right side of the heart. Patients with severe TR have a worse prognosis independent of all other variables. Surgical treatment for TR has mostly been limited to patients undergoing concomitant left-sided cardiac surgery. The results and durability of surgical repair or replacement are not well defined. For patients with significant and symptomatic TR, transcatheter techniques would be beneficial, but these techniques and devices have been slow to develop. Much of the delay is a result of neglect and challenges in defining the symptoms associated with TR. In addition, the anatomic and physiological aspects of the tricuspid valve apparatus present unique challenges. Several devices and techniques are in various phases of clinical investigation. This review highlights the current landscape of transcatheter tricuspid interventions and future opportunities. It is imminent that these therapies become commercially available and widely adopted to have a significant positive impact on millions of patients that have been neglected.