1. Resolving the mortality gap for tricuspid regurgitation repair
Tricuspid valve regurgitation is characterized by backflow of blood through the tricuspid valve of the heart. As it progresses, it leads to heart failure, with one-year mortality reaching 31% once diagnosed as severe. Surgical isolated TR repair is seldom pursued due to prohibitive mortality. Recent emergence of transcatheter techniques to repair the tricuspid valve show promise, but have not yet demonstrated a clear mortality benefit. With the development of these less invasive repair options, earlier diagnosis and referral may improve outcomes by altering the disease’s natural progression. We aim to develop efficient and precise methods to differentiate moderate from severe TR to optimize intervention timing.