Tricuspid Regurgitation (Valve leak) is a medical condition which can lead to fluid overload in the body with recurrent hospital admissions and poor quality of life. The mechanism of tricuspid regurgitation varies from disease involving the valve leaflets to the enlargement of the right side of the heart leading to lack of closure of the valves, thereby causing severe leak of the valve.
Until recently, the various treatment options in the form of tricuspid valve replacement/ repair or a ring to improve the valve leak are all open surgical procedures. The risk and the delayed recovery for these surgical techniques has made the demand for the option of percutaneous procedures. Pinhole procedures includes clipping the valve leaflets by special devices called Triclip, but for which the leaflets should be healthy for the clip to hold. In those patients where this cannot be considered, the latest option is the use of TRIC valve.
TRIC valve is a newer treatment option where new valves are implanted via a small pinhole procedure through the groin, which can release the tension in the right side of the heart and avoid fluid overload and re-admissions in the hospital, thereby improving the quality of life for these patients.
We performed this procedure in a 70-yr-old gentleman successfully and discharged him within 2 days. Interestingly he already has 2 previous valve replacements in the past and with this his 3 out of 4 heart valves are prosthetic valves. He is doing extremely well after this procedure and having a great quality of life.
