Percutaneous therapies for tricuspid regurgitation

Introduction: Chronic tricuspid valve regurgitation is usually associated with left-sided heart disease or pulmonary hypertension. Although severe tricuspid valve regurgitation carries a poor prognosis, isolated surgery is rarely performed due to high in-hospital mortality and an unclear impact on long term survival. The lack of adequate surgical treatment has resulted in a large population of patients with an unmet clinical need. Areas covered: Transcatheter therapies have revolutionized the management of high risk patients with left-sided valvular disease, and have sparked interest in translating minimally invasive therapies to the tricuspid valve. Here we will discuss some of the challenges of percutaneous tricuspid interventions, and review the novel therapies which are in early development. Expert commentary: Transcatheter therapies for the tricuspid valve are in early development, and are not yet appropriate for clinical use. In select non-surgical patients transcatheter devices may ultimately provide a therapeutic approach to palliate symptoms. However, further studies are needed to demonstrate both efficacy and safety before these devices are introduced to clinical practice.