A major German study presented at EuroPCR 2026 reveals a seismic shift in the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). From 2018 to 2023, the use of transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions (TTVI) skyrocketed more than tenfold, while tricuspid valve surgery (TVS) volumes remained flat.
Researchers from Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité in Berlin analyzed national data on over 10,000 TTVI patients and 1,300 surgical patients. Despite TTVI patients being significantly older-median age 81 versus 71-their outcomes were markedly better.
In-hospital mortality was just 2% for TTVI compared to 12% for isolated surgery. Hospital stays were also dramatically shorter: a median of 7 days versus 17. After propensity score matching to account for baseline differences, the benefits held. Mortality remained lower at 1% versus 10%, and hospital stays shorter at 8 days versus 16.
Notably, 91% of TTVI patients were discharged directly home, compared with only 36% of surgical patients. The findings underscore rapid adoption of less invasive valve technologies across Germany. Researchers caution, however, that longer-term data on durability and quality of life are still needed.