The NEJM has released findings from a trial testing a keyhole procedure to repair a leaking heart valve in patients with severe heart failure.
The New England Journal of Medicine (@NEJM) posted this week about a clinical trial examining transcatheter tricuspid-valve repair — a minimally invasive procedure to fix the tricuspid valve, the valve on the right side of the heart that controls blood flow between two of the heart’s chambers. The trial focused on patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a condition where the valve leaks, allowing blood to flow backwards instead of forwards.
The journal published the full trial results alongside a video produced in partnership with Dr Glaucomflecken, a doctor known for explaining medical research in accessible terms. The video breaks down what the trial measured and what its findings mean for patients living with this form of heart failure.
Tricuspid regurgitation is often described as a “forgotten” valve condition — it can cause fatigue, breathlessness, and swelling in the legs, but has historically had fewer treatment options than problems affecting the heart’s left side.
Transcatheter procedures are carried out through a small tube inserted into a blood vessel, rather than open-heart surgery. They carry a lower risk for patients who are too unwell to undergo a full operation.
The NEJM has not yet made the full trial data freely available outside its journal platform.
Source: @NEJM