The Leaky Valves: Functional Mitral and Tricuspid Regurgitation: Pathophysiology, Assessment and Treatment
Unlike primary valvular disease where the valve leaflets themselves are destroyed (e.g., by rheumatic fever), functional regurgitation occurs when a perfectly normal valve leaks because the heart chamber supporting it has dilated and distorted. This is a disease of the ventricle, not the valve, and treating it requires a profoundly different approach. Functional Mitral and Tricuspid Regurgitation: Pathophysiology, Assessment and Treatment is the definitive, fiercely clinical cardiology text dedicated to this complex hemodynamic cascade. This volume provides the exact blueprints required to understand, diagnose, and aggressively manage the valvular incompetence that inevitably accompanies severe heart failure.
Mastering Ventricular Remodeling and Annular Dilation
The core philosophy of this text is biomechanical understanding. The authors aggressively detail the specific geometry of the mitral and tricuspid apparatus. It dictates exactly how ischemic cardiomyopathy (after a heart attack) or dilated cardiomyopathy pulls the papillary muscles outward, preventing the valve leaflets from coapting (closing) during systole. It provides the crucial pathophysiological framework for understanding why fixing the valve without addressing the underlying ventricular failure often yields poor long-term results.
Navigating Echocardiography and Transcatheter Interventions
The book provides a masterclass in non-invasive assessment. It dictates the exact clinical pathways for utilizing 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to quantify the precise regurgitant volume and the mechanism of tethering. It provides exhaustive, cutting-edge reviews of emerging percutaneous (transcatheter) therapies, detailing the specific patient selection criteria for devices like the MitraClip and novel tricuspid annuloplasty systems, offering hope for patients too high-risk for open-heart surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does this book cover surgical annuloplasty?
Yes, it rigorously debates the long-term efficacy of restrictive surgical annuloplasty versus valve replacement in the setting of severe functional regurgitation.
Who is the primary audience?
It is the absolute, mandatory clinical guide for Interventional Cardiologists, Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Heart Failure Specialists, and Echocardiographers.
