Project description:Severe tricuspid regurgitation remains a challenging heart-valve disease to effectively treat with high morbidity and mortality at mid-term. Currently guideline-directed medical treatment is limited to escalating dose of diuretics, and the rationale and timing of open-heart surgery remains controversial. Emerging percutaneous therapies for severe tricuspid regurgitation continue to show promising results in early feasibility studies. However, randomized trial data is lacking. Additionally, many patients are deemed unsuitable for these emerging therapies due to anatomical or imaging constraints. Given the technical simplicity of the bicaval valve implantation (CAVI) technique compared to other transcatheter devices, CAVI is postulated as a suitable alternative for a wide variety of patients affected with severe+ tricuspid regurgitation. In this review we illustrate the current evidence and ongoing uncertainties of CAVI, focusing on the novel CAVI-specific devices.
Project description:BackgroundSevere tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a complex condition that can be difficult to treat medically, and often surgical intervention is prohibited due to the high morbidity and mortality associated with this intervention. In patients who have failed maximal medical therapy and have progressive symptoms related to their severe TR, heterotopic caval valve implantation (CAVI) offers potential for symptom relief for these patients.Case summaryWe present two cases of patients with severe TR with symptoms of heart failure that were refractory to medical therapy. Due to extensive comorbidities in these patient's surgical intervention was deemed unsuitable and the decision was made to proceed with heterotopic CAVI in order to try and control their symptoms. Both patients successfully underwent the procedure and had an Edwards SAPIEN 3 valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) implanted in the inferior vena cava/right atrium junction. In both patients, there was improvement in the postoperative haemodynamics as measured by invasive and non-invasive methods. Successful discharge was achieved in both patients with improvement in their symptoms.DiscussionSelective use of heterotopic CAVI to treat symptomatic severe TR that is refractory to medical therapy may be a viable option to improve symptoms in those patients that are unsuitable for surgical intervention.
Project description:Due to progressive abdominal-venous congestion severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common cause of cardiorenal and cardiohepatic syndrome. We initiated the TRICAVAL study to compare interventional valve implantation into the inferior vena cava (CAVI) versus optimal medical therapy (OMT) in severe TR. In the present subanalysis, we aimed to evaluate the effects of CAVI on clinical signs of congestion, renal and hepatic function. TRICAVAL was an investigator-initiated, randomized trial. Twenty-eight patients with severe TR were randomized to OMT or CAVI using an Edwards Sapien XT valve. Probands who completed the 3-month follow-up (CAVI [n = 8], OMT [n = 10]) were evaluated by medical history, clinical examination, and laboratory testing at baseline, 3 and 12 months. After 3 months, the CAVI group exhibited a significant reduction of body weight (from 80.7 [69.0-87.7] kg to 75.5 [63.8-84.6] kg, p < 0.05) and abdominal circumference (from 101.5 ± 13.8 cm to 96.3 ± 15.4 cm, p ≤ 0.01) and a trend to lower doses of diuretics compared to OMT. Renal and hepatic function parameters did not change significantly. Within a short-term follow-up, CAVI led to an improvement of clinical signs of venous congestion and a non-significant reduction of diuretic doses compared to OMT.
Project description:A 27-year-old man admitted with tricuspid valve endocarditis with a large vegetation, persistent bacteremia, and pulmonary and systemic septic embolization was deemed not a suitable surgical candidate. He underwent percutaneous vegetation debulking using the AngioVac system. The patient defervesced post-operatively with clinical improvement but with abruptly worsened tricuspid regurgitation. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.).
Project description:Untreated tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) is associated with increased rates of mortality, morbidity, and hospitalization. Current pharmacological and surgical treatment options for TR are limited. MitraClip (MC), an edge-to-edge percutaneous intervention, has been reported to be effective for treatment of TR. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of MC position on TR, using a multiphysics fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) analysis. The computational set up included the tricuspid valve (TV), the chordae tendineae, the blood particles, and a tube that surrounded the leaflets and blood particles. The leaflets and chordae were modeled as hyperelastic materials, and blood was modeled using smoothed particle hydrodynamics. FSI analysis was conducted for blood flow through the closed valve for multiple simulations that account for normal, diseased, and treated conditions of the TV. To simulate the diseased TV, a group of chordae between septal and pulmonary leaflets were removed from the normal TV, which produced increased regurgitation. Four MC treated scenarios were considered: i) one MC near the annulus, ii) one MC approximately midway between the annulus and leaflet tip, iii) one MC near the leaflet tip, iv) two MCs: one approximately midway between the annulus and leaflet tip, and one close to the leaflet tip. The TR increased in diseased TV (7.5%) compared to normal TV (2.5%). All MC treated scenarios decreased TR. The MC located near the midway point between the annulus and leaflet tip led to largest decrease in TR (75.2% compared to the untreated condition). The MC located near the leaflet tip was associated with lowest reduction in TR (2.2% compared to the untreated condition). When two MCs were used, reduction in TR was relatively high (68.7%), but TR was not improved compared to the optimal single MC. MC caused high stresses in the vicinity of the clipping area in all conditions; the highest occurred when the MC was near the leaflet tips. Using a quantitative computational approach, we confirm previous clinical reports on the efficacy of MC for treatment of TR. The results of this study could lead to the design of more efficient MC interventions for TR.
Project description:Preprocedural planning and postprocedural evaluation after transcatheter treatment of severe tricuspid regurgitation remain challenging and require further research and standardization. We illustrate the use of multimodality imaging techniques in 3 patients undergoing implantation of a novel custom-made bicaval valved stent for symptomatic treatment of severe tricuspid regurgitation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.) Central Illustration
Project description:Traumatic tricuspid valve injury is rare, accounting for 0.02% of traumatic injuries. The majority of cases result from blunt force trauma to the chest, however penetrating injuries have been documented in literature. Patients' can be in the full spectrum of disease, from asymptomatic to cardiogenic shock. Indications for surgery include right heart failure or evidence of right heart volume overload in the setting of significant tricuspid regurgitation. Early surgical repair is warranted to preserve right ventricular function. Surgery also needs to be planned in conjunction with the patients' other injuries. In some cases, it may be beneficial for surgery to be delayed whilst the patient is closely observed, in order for the patient to recover from concomitant injuries. We report two cases of tricuspid regurgitation in the context of blunt trauma, and our approach to the management of these patients.
Project description:Concomitant tricuspid valve repair (TVR) and double lung transplantation (DLTx) has been a surgical option at our institution since 2004 in an attempt to improve the outcome of DLTx for end-stage pulmonary hypertension, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and right ventricle (RV) dysfunction. This study is a review of that single institutional experience.Consecutive cases of concomitant TVR and DLTx performed between 2004 and 2009 (TVR group, n = 20) were retrospectively compared with cases of DLTx alone for severe pulmonary hypertension without TVR (non-TVR group, n = 58).There was one in-hospital death in the TVR group. The 90-day and 1- and 3-year survival rates for the TVR group were 90%, 75%, and 65%, respectively, which were not significantly different from those for the non-TVR group. The TVR group required less inotropic support and less prolonged mechanical ventilation in the ICU. Follow-up echocardiography demonstrated immediate elimination of both volume and pressure overload in the RV and tricuspid regurgitation in the TVR group. Notably, there was a significantly lower incidence of primary graft dysfunction following transplantation in the TVR group (P < .05). Pulmonary functional improvement shown by an FEV(1) increase after 6 months was also significantly better in the TVR group (40% vs 20%, P < .05).Combined TVR and DLTx procedures were successfully performed without an increase in morbidity or mortality and contributed to decreased primary graft dysfunction. In our experience, this combined operative approach achieves clinical outcomes equal or superior to the outcomes seen in DLTx patients without RV dysfunction and severe tricuspid regurgitation.