First Case of the Treatment of Massive Tricuspid Regurgitation With the CroíValve DUO Coaptation Valve in a Patient With a Right Ventricular Pacemaker Lead

Background

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a common valvular disorder with limited treatment options. It occurs when tricuspid leaflet closure is prevented by dilation of the right heart or in patients with cardiac implantable rhythm devices when the transvalvular lead impedes proper closure of the valve. The management of these patients can be complicated. The removal of the lead often does not improve the TR, and surgical repair is usually not possible because of comorbidities. A number of percutaneous TR repair and replacement devices have been developed; however, the presence of the right ventricular lead can prevent the delivery of these devices, or the device may displace the pacemaker lead. We report the first implant of the CroíValve DUO Transcatheter Tricuspid Coaptation Valve System (Dublin, Ireland) in a patient with massive TR and a right ventricular lead.

Methods

The patient was not a fit for surgical treatment and underwent transcatheter treatment following compassionate use approval. The procedure was performed under general anesthetic with echo and X-ray guidance. The device was delivered through the right internal jugular vein.

Results

The device was implanted successfully, and the TR was reduced from massive to mild at 90-day follow-up. The patient’s quality of life improved significantly with an improvement in 6-minute walk test (382 m at baseline to 467 m at follow-up), the New York Heart Association classification (III at baseline to I at follow-up), and the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (baseline score 43 increased to 60). The efficacy and clinical improvement have been stable over the past 90 days of follow-up, and the patient has not suffered any adverse events.

Conclusions

This is the first implantation of the CroíValve DUO Coaptation Valve System in a patient with a pacemaker lead. In these patients, this device may offer advantages over other current transcatheter approaches.