Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) affects a wide population in China, and frequently coexists with other conditions as comorbidities. Moderate to severe TR is associated with a poor prognosis and medical treatment alone does not prevent progression of disease. Although minimal invasive catheter-based techniques might be an option for TR treatment in selected high risk patients, there is no relevant recommendations for the transcatheter treatment of TR in practice guidelines. Several transcatheter edge-to-edge repair devices are currently in preclinical and early clinical evaluation as potential novel treatment options for symptomatic TR in patients at increased risk for surgery, becoming as the most common technique applied for interventional TR treatment. Hence, the present study will introduce the clinical features of TR, the progress of edge-to-edge repair, and the application and challenges in the future.
One of its primary surgical treatments of tricuspid regurgitation is tricuspid valve biological valve replacement. Catheter tricuspid valve-in-valve implantation is a novel interventional alternative for biological valve failure. The non-invasive lung fluid measuring device remote dielectric sensing (ReDSTM) has been increasingly incorporated into clinical practice as a means of monitoring chronic heart failure in recent years. This report describes the process and outcomes of the first instance of perioperative lung fluid volume evaluation following transcatheter tricuspid valve implantation utilizing ReDSTM technology. The patient has a short-term, substantial increase in postoperative lung fluid volume as compared to baseline.
ObjectiveTo investigate the morbidity of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients after transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR). MethodsA prospective cohort study enrolled 19 patients who were diagnosed with severe or greater tricuspid regurgitation in West China Hospital from October 11, 2020 to March 1, 2021, and would receive TTVR using LuX-valve for valve replacement. The patients were divided into a PPCs group and a non-PPCs group according to the presence of PPCs. The incidence of PPCs after tricuspid valve intervention between the two groups was compared. ResultsOf 19 patients diagnosed with severe or greater tricuspid regurgitation registered in the database, 17 met the inclusion criteria, including 15 females and 2 males, with a mean age of 68.4±8.0 years. PPCs occurred in 9 of 17 (52.9%) patients. At discharge, compared with the non-PPCs group, the PPCs group had a longer postoperative hospital stay [11.0 (10.0, 17.0) d vs. 7.5 (7.0, 8.0) d, P=0.01], longer ICU stay [72.0 (45.5, 95.0) h vs. 20.5 (16.0, 22.8) h, P<0.01], and more hospital cost [74.3 (65.9, 98.3) thousand yuan vs. 52.6 (44.2, 57.4) thousand yuan, P<0.01]. At 30 days of follow-up, the PPCs group was found that the rate of New York Heart Association cardiac function≥class Ⅲ (66.7% vs. 12.5%, P<0.01) was higher, the six-minute walk distance (170.2±169.3 m vs. 377.9±80.5 m, P<0.01) was shorter and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire heart failure score (40.9±31.2 vs. 80.4±5.8, P<0.01) was less than those of the non-PPCs group. ConclusionPPCs are common in the patients undergoing TTVR and severely affect patients' cardiac function, exercise function and quality-of-life recovery. Proactive preoperative intervention as well as early postoperative rehabilitation management should be provided to those at high risk of PPCs.
Functional tricuspid regurgitation is referred to tricuspid regurgitation due to enlargement of right ventricular and dilation of tricuspid annulus. Patients with chronic progressive tricuspid regurgitation have poor prognosis, poor quality of life and heavy economic burden. This article provides a comprehensive review of functional tricuspid regurgitation in terms of anatomical basis, pathological stage, imaging assessment and surgical decision making.
Objective To investigate the effects of different types of tricuspid regurgitation, implantation positions, and device models on the treatment outcomes of K-Clip for tricuspid regurgitation using numerical simulations. Methods Three-dimensional reconstruction of the heart model was performed based on CT images. Two different regurgitation orifices were obtained by modifying the standard parameterized tricuspid valve leaflets and chordae tendineae. The effects of different K-Clip models at different implantation positions (posterior leaflet midpoint, anterior-posterior commissure, anterior leaflet midpoint, posterior septal commissure) were simulated using commercial explicit dynamics software Ls-Dyna. Conclusion For the two types of regurgitation in this study, clipping at the posterior leaflet midpoint resulted in a better reduction of the regurgitation orifice (up to 75% reduction in area). Higher clamping forces were required for implantation at the anterior leaflet midpoint and posterior septal commissure, which was unfavorable for the smooth closure of the clipping components. There was no statistical difference in the treatment outcomes between the 18T and 16T K-Clip components, and the 16T component required less clamping force. Therefore, the use of the 16T K-Clip component is recommended.
A 23-year-old male patient was diagnosed with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (ccTGA) at the age of 3 during a routine physical examination. Due to the absence of significant symptoms, the patient was managed conservatively with follow-up without surgical treatment. He developed chest tightness one year prior to admission, with symptom exacerbation in the recent month. Echocardiography demonstrated significantly worsened morphological tricuspid regurgitation. The patient presented to Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital for surgical evaluation. Given the patient’s age and clinical presentation, a totally thoracoscopic morphological tricuspid valve replacement was performed. Postoperative assessment showed good prosthetic valve function, with no regurgitation or paravalvular leakage; the electrocardiogram confirmed sinus rhythm without atrioventricular block. Extubation occurred within 12 hours postoperatively, and the patient was transferred from the intensive care unit (ICU) on postoperative day 2. At the three-month follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and had resumed normal activities. This report describes the first case of a totally thoracoscopic morphological tricuspid valve replacement in a ccTGA patient in China. This initial experience suggests that the totally thoracoscopic approach for morphological tricuspid valve replacement in ccTGA patients is a feasible, safe, and effective minimally invasive option associated with rapid recovery.
Objective To examine the regression, residue, or progression of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) after mitral valve replacement so as to improve the clinical evaluation and management of TR. Methods From January 1998 to December 2003, a total of 287 consecutive patients of mitral valve replacement were followed and reviewed for this study. There were 86 male patients and 201 female patients whose ages ranged from 15 to 66 years (41.0±11.0 years). The predominant mitral vane lesion was stenosis in 199 patients (69%), regurgitation in 66 patients (23%) and mixed in 22 patients (8%). A total of 201 patients (70%) had atrial fibrillation and 86 patients (30%) were in sinus rhythm. According to ratio of maximal regurgitation area to right atrial area TR was graded as mild (+), mild-moderate (+/++) moderate (++) moderate-severe (++/+++) and severe (+++). There were 101 mild TR (36.7%), 5 mild-moderate(1.8%), 27 moderate (9.8%), 2 moderate-severe (0.7%) and 21 severe (7.6%). Depending on the surgical findings tricuspid annuloplasty was performed. The patients were followed in outpatient clinical and had echocardiography evaluation regularly. Results The follow-up ranged from 2 to 7 years (4.0±1.6 years). Twelve patients were lost during the follow-up periods. Compared with preoperation, clinical condition of the majority of patients was improved after surgery. The diameter of left atrium, right atrium, left ventricle and right ventricle decreased significantly after operation (P〈0.01). The ejection fraction and fraction of shorting increased significantly after surgery (P〈0.05). However there were no significantly changes between pre- TR and post- TR in these patients (P〉0.05). Tricuspid annuloplasty was not performed for 129 patients who had TR because TR was judged intraoperatively not to be severe. Of those patients, TR regressed in 54 patients, improved in 12 patients, did not change in 46 patients and progressed in 17 patients respectively after surgery. There were 27 patients who received De Vega tricuspid annuloplasty. Among them, TR regressed in 10 patients, improved in 12 patients and did not change in 5 patients respectively after surgery. Conclusion It is not adequate to evaluate the degree of TR in mitral valve diseases with rate of maximal regurgitation area to right atrial area. It should be improved to adopt intraoperative findings for tricuspid annuloplasty. TR may occur in patients who do not have TR before operation.
Objective To observe whether the adoptation of tricuspid annulus diameter as surgical indication for tricuspid annuloplasty will reduce the occurrence of moderate-severe tricuspid regurgitation(TR) in patients after mitral valve replacement (MVR). Methods Between April 2005 and June 2006, MVR was performed in 56 patients with no or mild TR in our Department. The patients were divided into two groups according to tricuspid annulus diameter(TAD)/body surface area (BSA)≥21mm/m2. Tricuspid annuloplasty group(TA group): 22 cases, male 8, female 14, age 45.0±7.7 years, TAD 36.8±3.8mm, BSA 1.57±0.15m2, New York Heart Association(NYHA) functional class Ⅲ/Ⅲ-Ⅳ 18/4, sinus rhythm(SR)/atrial fibrillation (AF) 2/20. Notricuspid annuloplasty group (NTA group): 34 cases, male 9, female 25, age 42.9±11.0 years, TAD 28.5±4.4mm, BSA 1.58±0.13m2, NYHA Ⅲ/Ⅲ-Ⅳ 28/6, SR/AF 9/25. Kay annuloplasty was performed for TA group patients. The patients were followed in outpatient clinical regularly and evaluated by echocardiography at 6 months after operation. Results All patients recovered and were discharged from hospital. The duration of follow-up was 11.0±2.4 months. Except 2 cases, all patients received echocardiography evaluation at 6 months after operation. There were no significantly differences between two groups patients in general clinical characteristics (Pgt;0.05). Compared with NTA group before operation, right atrial diameter (RAD, 49.3±7.0mm) and TAD(36.8±3.8mm) were bigger and more mild TR in TA group (Plt;0.05). RAD(44.1±8.9mm) and TAD(28.9±6.1mm) reduced and the proportion of TR degree improved (Plt;0.05) in TA group but did not occur in NTA group after surgery (Pgt;0.05). There were three cases of moderate TR in NTA group. Conclusion Tricuspid annuloplasty adopting TAD as surgical indication may reduce the occurrences of postoperative moderate-severe TR for patients of MVR with no or mild preoperative TR.
Recently, several transcatheter devices for aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair have been used in clinic, and researchers have designed a variety of tricuspid valve (TV) intervention devices. We reviewed the current status of transcatheter TV intervention, and focused on the structures of these devices and the early results of clinical trials. Undoubtedly, transcatheter intervention for TV is promising, innovational and safe for patients with severe TV regurgitation.