Tricuspid Regurgitation

The tricuspid valve prevents the backflow of blood between the right ventricle and the right atrium. It maintains the unidirectional flow of blood from the right atrium to the right ventricle. When the valve doesn’t function properly it gives rise to Tricuspid regurgitation, which means every time the right ventricle contracts, depending on the severity, blood squirts backward into the right atrium.

This gives rise to symptoms of heart failure, such as weakness, fatigue, and abdominal or lower limb swelling.

Whilst there are several causes for tricuspid regurgitation, if the valve is damaged by organic causes such as rheumatic heart disease, infective endocarditis, carcinoid syndrome, Ebstein’s anomaly, and some other congenital abnormalities of the Atrioventricular valves, it may need to be surgically corrected.

Surgical Management Strategies for Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

Valves could be repaired or replaced. Though repair provides a good outcome, there are many associated technical difficulties and variable failure rates. If repair isn’t possible, the valve may be replaced with mechanical or biological valves. Mechanical valves last a long time, but when valves are replaced there is an increased risk of blood clots forming, and this is especially true for mechanical valves. As a result, patients who have mechanical valves will need to take lifelong anticoagulant therapies.

Compared to this, biological valve replacements do not require lifelong anticoagulation and there is evidence to suggest that it produces better blood flow than mechanical valves. Unfortunately, biological valves last less and may need to be replaced.2