Navigating Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Disease: Diagnosis, Quality of Life, and Patient-Centered Care
In this expert-led webinar, Suzanne V. Arnold, MD (Saint Luke’s Health System, Kansas City, US) and Colin M.Barker, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN) offer practical guidance on recognising heart valve disease early, navigating referral pathways, and integrating patient-centred data into everyday cardiology practice.
The session begins with a focus on identifying symptoms and understanding when to refer to a heart team, highlighting gaps in diagnosis and treatment. Dr Arnold then examines how untreated mitral and tricuspid regurgitation can affect prognosis and quality of life, with a detailed look at available medical, surgical, and transcatheter therapies.
A key feature of this webinar is the use of real-world quality-of-life and patient preference data. Dr Arnold shares how general cardiologists can apply these insights to hold meaningful shared decision-making conversations that improve engagement and treatment satisfaction.
Designed for general cardiologists and heart team members, this on-demand session delivers clinical context, practical tools, and actionable strategies to enhance valve disease care.
Watch now to access expert guidance on delivering patient-centred, high-quality valve care.
Learning Objectives
- Understand symptoms and impact of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, referral indications, and address underdiagnosis, under-referral, and undertreatment in heart valve disease
- Explore the impact of untreated mitral and tricuspid regurgitation on outcomes and review referral timing and treatment options, including medical, surgical, and transcatheter therapies
- Present quality-of-life and patient preference data for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and how general cardiologists can use these insights to support shared decision-making
Target Audience
- Cardiologists
More from this programme
Part 1
Introduction and Session 1: Recognizing and Responding to Mitral Regurgitation & Tricuspid Regurgitation
The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing TR's impact on patient quality of life, challenging traditional medical perspectives, and highlighting the potential for earlier intervention to improve patient outcomes.
Part 2
Session 2: Progression and Treatment Options
The discussion centers on tricuspid regurgitation (TR) treatment, exploring medical and interventional strategies that significantly improve patient quality of life. Experts highlight two primary FDA-approved interventions, emphasizing the importance of early referral, comprehensive assessment, and a multidisciplinary approach to managing TR and its impact on patient symptoms and functionality.
Part 3
Session 3: Quality of Life and Patient Preferences
The discussion focused on the importance of health status improvement in medical interventions, particularly for tricuspid valve procedures. The speakers highlighted that patients, especially those over 70 or with severe symptoms, often prioritize quality of life over survival. Two studies were cited showing that patients are willing to trade survival time for symptom relief. The conversation also emphasized the critical role of post-procedure management, including cardiac rehabilitation, lifestyle modifications, and careful 30-day assessments to optimize patient outcomes and track recovery progress.
Faculty Biographies
Suzanne Arnold
Suzanne Arnold, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship trained cardiologist with Saint Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants. Suzanne Arnold, MD, is actively involved in multiple research projects studying the outcomes of patients with valvular heart disease, patients with chronic coronary disease, and patients with heart disease and concomitant diabetes. Her clinical interests include valvular heart disease, geriatric cardiology and quality of life.
Suzanne Arnold, MD, was born in Ohio and attended undergraduate school and medical school at Ohio State University in Columbus. Dr. Arnold completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Suzanne Arnold, MD, also completed a research fellowship through the American Heart Association in cardiovascular outcomes research. She is board certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and echocardiography.
Colin Barker
Colin Barker, MD, is Director of Interventional Cardiology and Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Colin Barker, MD specialises in complex coronary interventions, structural heart therapies and peripheral vascular disease. His research focuses on device innovation and pharmacogenomics. Colin Barker, MD leads multiple clinical trials and national initiatives in cardiovascular care .