His presentation, “Tricuspid Regurgitation in Moderate-to-Severe Right Heart Dysfunction: A New Approach to Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Intervention,” described a 72-year-old patient with torrential TR, severely impaired right and left ventricular function, recurrent heart failure, and dialysis-dependent kidney disease.
The patient was unsuitable for commercially available repair devices, while valve replacement was considered unsuitable because of severe ventricular dysfunction. Pivot Extend® was implanted through transfemoral access under local anesthesia.
At follow-up, Dr. Barbieri reported:
- Improvement from torrential to trace TR.
- Improvement in functional status from NYHA class IV to class II.
- Improved right and left ventricular function.
- No recurrent cardiac decompensation.
This single compassionate-use case highlights the potential of spacer-based repair for patients without suitable conventional options. Further clinical data are needed to evaluate safety, effectiveness, and appropriate patient selection.
Thank you to Dr. Barbieri and the Charité team for sharing this clinical experience.