EASE TRICUSPID Expertise-based Assessment Study on Clinical Efficacy of Contour 3D® in TRICUSPID Valve Annuloplasty

The EASE TRICUSPID Clinical Trial was a prospective, non-randomized, non-interventional, post-market release study. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic performance of the Contour 3D® Tricuspid Annuloplasty Ring following Tricuspid Valve (TV) repair in a post-market environment. Therefore, the primary objective of the EASE Tricuspid Study was to evaluate the hemodynamic performance of the Contour 3D® Tricuspid Annuloplasty Ring (Contour 3D ring) in subjects with tricuspid regurgitation who had a clinical indication for TV repair in a post-market use. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of the effect of TV repair with the Contour 3D ring on the right ventricular function, as well as the assessment of the effect of TV repair with the Contour 3D ring on the functional status in subjects undergoing TV repair in a post-market environment. Subjects eligible for TV repair and compliant with the enrollment criteria were considered by the Investigator for inclusion in the study. To minimize bias, enrolled subjects were followed by their own physician in accordance with the center's established practice for routine follow up. Follow-up sessions were planned at the physician's discretion. To meet the intended goals, appropriate clinical data were collected at baseline (pre-surgery), during the surgical procedure, at discharge and during the follow-up period at 6 months. Experienced echo-cardiologists evaluated the echos. At the time of enrollment it was not certain if the subject would receive a Contour 3D ring, since the surgeon might have decided during surgery that another treatment was more beneficial to the subject. In this case, the subject was terminated from the study.

Inclusion criteria

• Willing to sign and date the Patient Informed Consent (PIC)
• Indicated for a concomitant surgical repair of the TV
• Willing to return to the hospital, where the implantation originally occurred, for a 6 month follow-up visit

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with a degenerative TV condition
• Patients with primary TV regurgitation
• Previous TV repair or replacement
• Stand-alone TV repair
• Already participating in another investigational device or drug study, possibly leading to bias and jeopardizing the scientific appropriate assessment of the study endpoints
• Life expectancy of less than one year
• Pregnant or desire to be pregnant within 12 months of the study treatment
• Under 18 years or over 85 years of age
• Patients with active endocarditis
• Patients with valvular retraction with severely reduced mobility
• Patients with a heavily calcified TV