Baptist Health's cardiology team in Little Rock now provides Abbott's TriClip™ transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, a minimally invasive treatment option for tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a condition where the tricuspid valve leaks. This innovative therapy eliminates the necessity for open-heart surgery.
TriClip is delivered to the heart via a catheter inserted through the femoral vein in the leg and works by clipping together a portion of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the backflow of blood.
Designed specifically for the right side of the heart and the tricuspid valve’s complex anatomy, the innovative TriClip and steerable guiding catheter systems allow physicians to independently grasp and effectively clip leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the regurgitation. This minimally invasive approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently and relieve symptoms of TR, which improves the quality of life for patients.
Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a condition in which the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) don’t close properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the right atrium of the heart.
Traditionally, the only treatment options for TR have been surgery, which is rarely performed due to the complexity of the procedure and high risks involved, and medical therapy, which is usually not successful in reducing TR. Abbott's TriClip device offers a critical treatment alternative for individuals affected by this condition.
Abbott recently announced that the TriClip TEER system received FDA approval.