Tricuspid regurgitation occurs when a misshapen and leaky tricuspid valve cannot close properly. It can cause the heart to work harder than it needs to and can lead to more serious heart problems like atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Tricuspid regurgitation is a common heart condition affecting 1.6 million people in the United States. Thankfully, in recent years, several new therapies have been developed to treat the disease.
A cardiologist and an internal medicine resident at Kaiser Permanente co-authored a paper describing emerging minimally invasive surgeries to treat tricuspid regurgitation and increase awareness of the condition in the field. The paper was published in European Cardiology Review.
“The tricuspid valve is often referred to as the ‘forgotten valve’ because it’s often not problematic and early symptoms are challenging to detect,” said senior author, interventional cardiologist and Regional Director of Cardiovascular Research at Kaiser Permanente Natalia Berry, MD. “But there has been a significant jump in interest around this topic, a better understanding of the impact on patients, and the development of emerging new therapies.”
Read more about the study.
The paper was co-authored by internal medicine resident at Kaiser Permanente Qiuyu Martin Zhu, MD. Residents at Kaiser Permanente work with world-class physicians on research presented across the globe. Learn about the Kaiser Permanente Internal Medicine Residency Program.