A recent review published in the Structural Heart Journal reinforces an important reality that P&F Products & Features—and many Heart Teams worldwide—see every day: patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation are still being referred too late, often when conventional surgical or transcatheter repair options are no longer feasible.
The publication highlights the serious consequences of delayed intervention, including high morbidity and mortality, progressive right-sided congestion, and associated renal and hepatic dysfunction. As a result, there is a growing population of high-risk, inoperable patients whose treatment options are limited to medical therapy alone—frequently with poor clinical outcomes.
Notably, the authors emphasize that transcatheter tricuspid therapies are not interchangeable. Not all patients are appropriate candidates for approved leaflet repair or orthotopic valve replacement, particularly in advanced disease stages characterized by severe right ventricular dysfunction and extensive annular dilation.
This unmet need is where heterotopic bicaval valve implantation can also play a meaningful role. Developed by P&F Products & Features, the TricValve® Transcatheter Bicaval Valve System is designed to address the pathophysiology of advanced tricuspid regurgitation by targeting venous congestion rather than attempting to correct the native tricuspid valve itself. This physiology-driven approach offers a pragmatic treatment option for patients who would otherwise remain on medical therapy alone.
As transcatheter tricuspid interventions continue to evolve, success will increasingly depend on matching the right therapy to the right patient at the right time.