AIM   To investigate whether transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) can improve functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR).

  METHODS  We prospectively enrolled ASD patients with functional TR who underwent transcatheter closure in Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020. All patients took echocardiography before the transcatheter closure. Functional TR was classified to severe, moderate and mild according to the echocardiographic assessment. Echocardiography follow-up was performed at 6 months after the procedure to evaluate the improvement of TR.

  RESULTS  Compared with the mild TR group, the patients in the moderate/severe TR group were older (P<0.01), the ASD diameter was larger, and the RV diameter was larger (all P<0.05). Compared with the moderate TR group, the patients in the severe TR group were older (P<0.01), and the RV diameter was larger (P<0.05). Before occlusion, 11 patients had severe TR, 18 patients had moderate TR, and 71 patients had mild TR; Six months after occlusion, 10 patients (91%) decreased from severe TR to mild TR, and 12 patients (67%) decreased from moderate TR to mild TR. None of the patients with mild TR had increased reflux to moderate or severe. Univariate analysis showed that persistent TR was associated with, pulmonary artery diameter, right atrial diameter, right ventricular diameter, left atrial diameter, left ventricular diameter and ASD size. Through multivariate analysis, the above factors are not independent predictors. According to the classification of occluder types, it was found that there was no statistical difference between domestic occluder and imported occluder in improving the efficacy of functional TR.

  CONCLUSION  In this single center study, transcatheter closure of ASD improves the functional TR of ASD patients.