Background:
The influence of tricuspid transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (T-TEER) on renal and hepatic function remains unclear.
Objective:
To investigate changes in renal and hepatic function in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) managed with or without T-TEER.
Methods:
This single-center study included patients with severe TR who underwent T-TEER or received best medical treatment (BMT) alone. Liver function markers (AST/GOT, ALT/GPT, gamma GT, total bilirubin, albumin) and kidney function parameters (creatinine, eGFR, urea) were analyzed at baseline and after a median follow-up of 147 days in the T-TEER group and 148 days in the BMT group using propensity score matching (PSM).
Results:
A total of 111 T-TEER patients and 257 BMT control patients were evaluated. Control patients were younger (mean age 68 vs. 76 years), had a lower prevalence of atrial fibrillation (30% vs. 92%), and exhibited lower mean left ventricular ejection fraction (38% vs. 47%). After 1:1 optimal TRI-SCORE components-based PSM, the matched groups (111 T-TEER patients and 111 BMT controls) exhibited comparable overall TRI-SCORE and individual TRI-SCORE components, except for eGFR. At baseline, eGFR was higher in the control group, whereas urea was lower compared with the T-TEER group (52 vs. 45 mL/min/1.73 m² and 69 vs. 79 mg/dL, respectively; p < 0.05 for both). Mean baseline albumin was slightly but higher in the T-TEER group (42 vs. 40 g/L; p < 0.01). At follow-up, creatinine, eGFR, GGT, total bilirubin, and albumin all significantly improved in the T-TEER group (p < 0.01 for all). In contrast, the BMT group showed improvement only in GGT, while urea levels significantly worsened (p < 0.05 for both).
Conclusion:
Compared to conservative best medical management, T-TEER appears to exert beneficial effects on both renal and hepatic function in patients with severe TR.
