Heterotopic Implantation Of the Edwards-Sapien Transcatheter Aortic Valve in the Inferior VEna Cava for the Treatment of Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation (HOVER)

Inclusion criteria

• . Patients must be at least 21 years old.
• . The patient must have severe, symptomatic (ACC/AHA Stage D symptoms) tricuspid regurgitation (TR) as assessed by 2D echocardiogram with evidence of peripheral and central venous congestion (specifically lower extremity edema and abdominal ascites requiring diuretics.)
• . The patient must be evaluated by a "heart team" of physicians including an interventional cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon, heart failure specialist, and imaging specialist, and presented for review at a local multi-disciplinary conference. By consensus, the heart team must agree (and verify in the case review process) that valve implantation will likely benefit the patient.
• . The heart team must agree that medical factors preclude operation, based on a conclusion that the probability of death or serious, irreversible morbidity exceeds the probability of meaningful improvement. Also, other factors which may increase the patients perceived surgical risk for inclusion in the trial will be clearly delineated if they are present. These include, but are not limited to the following as defined by VARC 2: Frailty, Hostile chest, porcelain aorta, IMA or other critical conduit crossing the midline or adherent to the posterior table of sternum, severe right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. The surgeons' consultation notes shall specify the medical or anatomic factors leading to that conclusion. At least one of the cardiac surgeon assessors must have interviewed and examined the patient.