The tricuspid valve is one of the four heart valves. It controls the flow of blood between the two ventricles on the right side of the heart. In tricuspid valve insufficiency, the right heart valve does not close tightly, allowing blood to flow back (regurgitation). To compensate for the backflow of blood, the heart has to work harder, which makes you tired or quickly out of breath. Affected people suffer from symptoms such as shortness of breath or peripheral oedema. If severe tricuspid valve insufficiency is left untreated, it can lead to heart failure.
Catheter treatment of tricuspid valve insufficiency
Most tricuspid valve diseases cannot be adequately treated with drug therapy only and may require surgery. For patients whose risk of surgery is very high due to their advanced age or because of concomitant diseases, a minimally invasive therapy solution is available at our heart centre.
Using a catheter-based procedure, we can repair the tricuspid valve without the need for open-heart surgery. We insert a clip, folded tightly at the tip of a cardiac catheter, to the defective valve and place it there. A small puncture in the groin - usually on the femoral vein - is all that is needed for access. The minimally invasive procedure allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently, the symptoms of tricuspid regurgitation are relieved and the quality of life of those affected is improved. Compared to open heart surgery, the hospital stay after a minimally invasive tricuspid valve repair is usually shorter and patients are back on their feet faster.
As a team of heart specialists, surgeons and anaesthetists, we will be happy to advise you on whether the procedure is suitable for you.