Tricuspid Valve Treatments
If your symptoms are severe and medication doesn’t help, you might need another form of treatment. We’ll work with you to determine if you need a repair or replacement, with or without surgery, in St. Cloud.
Tricuspid Valve Surgery
For this procedure, your surgeon will divide your breastbone to access your heart. You’ll likely be on a heart-lung machine, which pumps your blood during open-heart surgery.
After the tricuspid valve is repaired or replaced, you will recover in the intensive care unit where you will receive around-the-clock care. Cardiac rehabilitation will begin while you’re still in the hospital to help you safely regain strength.
Non-Surgical Tricuspid Valve Repair and Replacement
Many new non-surgical treatments for a leaky tricuspid valve have become available in the last year. These approaches may be safer and more effective than open-heart surgery for some people. At this time, you can only find these treatments at leading heart programs like the one in St. Cloud.
TriClip (Transcatheter Valve Repair)
In this minimally invasive procedure, a tiny clip helps the flaps fully close in the area where the valve is leaking. Your doctor will:
- Place a catheter (thin, soft tube) in a blood vessel
- Use the tube to carry the clip up to your heart
- Attach the clip to your valve, pinning the valve flaps together, improving the seal and reducing the leaking
- Withdraw the catheter
Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement (TTVR)
TTVR is a nonsurgical option for replacing the tricuspid valve. The doctor inserts a catheter into a blood vessel through a tiny incision. The tube carries an artificial valve up to your heart. Then the doctor pushes aside the flaps of the old valve and inserts the new valve, allowing blood to flow freely through the heart.
Your Recovery
Compared to open-heart surgery, you most likely will experience less pain, a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery with these minimally invasive procedures.
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