A first-of-its-kind surgery that repairs tricuspid valve leakage was recently performed at Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute. The minimally invasive procedure replaces a damaged valve without open-heart surgery, restoring valve function and shortening recovery time.
Dr. Paul Sorajja, Associate Director of Banner – University Medicine Heart Institute, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the medical breakthrough.
The tricuspid valve is located on the right side of the heart and Dr. Sorajja said that because of its location, it can often go undiagnosed. He also broke down just how a leaky tricuspid valve can affect one’s day-to-day life.
“It creates congestion that drains the liver and kidneys, and also the bowels. Leaving patients feeling fatigued, congested and sometimes in the hospital, ” Dr. Sorajja said.
Transcatheter surgery, a procedure that is done by going through a patients’ veins, has grown in popularity over the years and has become the method to conducting this new type of surgery on the tricuspid valve.
An 89-year-old patient was the first to receive this new type of tricuspid valve surgery and Dr. Sorajja said that he’s doing “amazing”. He along with his team follow up with the patient regularly in the “continuity of care”.
This type of less invasive surgery is providing a new option of care for older adults who experience higher risk during open-heart surgery. Dr. Sorajja said that typically older patients in need of a surgery on their triscuspid valve were instead having to consider “hospice or palliative means”.
As for the recovery time, Dr. Sorajja said that patients can expect a shortened recovery of a couple of days in the hospital as opposed to a one to two week hospital stay.
Now, Dr. Sorajja and the team at Banner are continuing through a feasibility study and a pivotal study to hopefully lead to commercial approval by the FDA.
