Community Hospital performs groundbreaking procedure to treat severe tricuspid regurgitation

NORTHWEST INDIANA | Structural cardiologists at Powers Health Community Hospital reached another  milestone in providing groundbreaking cardiovascular care by performing the first transcatheter tricuspid  valve replacement (TTVR) procedure in Indiana.  

Using the EVOQUE tricuspid valve device, the minimally invasive procedure is used to treat patients who  have severe tricuspid regurgitation without having to undergo conventional open-heart surgery. The  device is implanted using a catheter threaded through the femoral vein to the heart. 

The team at Community Hospital has extensive experience with minimally invasive cardiac procedures. It is the  only American College of Cardiology certified transcatheter valve site in the Chicagoland area and the only site  in Lake County, Indiana. For the TTVR procedure, the team used the EVOQUE device offered by Edwards  Lifesciences which is the world’s first transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement therapy. 

“The tricuspid valve is complex anatomically,” said Samer Abbas, MD, an interventional cardiologist and  medical director of Cardiovascular Services at Community Hospital and the Structural Heart and Valve Clinic of  Powers Health. “This innovative procedure allows us to treat our patients who have severe tricuspid  regurgitation through transcatheter intervention. Because of that, patients will typically experience a  faster recovery time and an improved quality of life.” 

Tricuspid regurgitation is a life-threatening condition that affects an estimated 1.6 million Americans,  according to the Journal of American College of Cardiology. It occurs when the tricuspid valve on the right  side of the heart does not close properly and blood flows backward from the ventricle to the atrium. This  causes a patient’s heart to work harder to move blood through the valve. 

If left untreated, tricuspid regurgitation may lead to heart failure. Treatment options include medication  or surgery to repair the valve, depending on the severity. However, symptoms often do not become  noticeable until the condition is severe. Symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue, shortness of  breath and swelling in the abdomen, legs and neck veins. 

“Powers Health is honored to be among the pioneers to offer this procedure,” said Dale O’Donnell, vice  president of Cardiology Services for Powers Health. “This is yet another instance that showcases the  exemplary cardiovascular care available at our hospitals.”