NEW DELHI: An elderly patient suffering from rare Tricuspid Valve Barlow’s Disease, which had resulted in severe leakage of the heart’s tricuspid valve, has been successfully treated using a dedicated tricuspid TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair) device, without undergoing open-heart surgery. The procedure is believed to be the first reported case in the country of Tricuspid TEER being used to treat primary tricuspid regurgitation caused by tricuspid valve prolapse associated with Barlow’s Disease.
The procedure was performed by interventional structural cardiologist Dr. Ravinder Singh Rao, along with Dr. Kailash Chandra, Dr. Prashant Varshney and their team.
The patient had been experiencing symptoms for around six months. The rare condition had caused severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), resulting in a significant amount of blood leaking backward with every heartbeat.
Barlow’s Disease is a rare condition in which the valve tissue becomes thickened, enlarged and unusually floppy. As the heart beats, the valve leaflets can bulge or “prolapse” backward instead of closing properly.
In this patient, the abnormal valve structure resulted in severe tricuspid regurgitation. Over time, severe TR can cause swelling of the legs and abdomen, fatigue, loss of appetite and fluid accumulation, and may affect organs such as the liver and kidneys.
Instead of conventional open-heart surgery, doctors reached the heart through a thin catheter inserted through a blood vessel. Using advanced 3-D echocardiography, the team precisely identified the abnormal, prolapsing valve tissue. Two clips from the dedicated tricuspid TEER device were then placed to bring the valve leaflets closer together and improve their ability to close.
According to the treating team, the procedure reduced the valve leakage by more than 90%. The patient was taken off breathing support in the operating room, spent one day in intensive care and was mobilised the following day.
“Tricuspid valve disease can be challenging to treat, particularly when the valve anatomy is complex. In this patient, the severity of the leakage and the valve structure required careful assessment and precise treatment. The successful outcome shows how catheter-based approaches can help us treat selected patients who may otherwise have limited options” said Dr. Ravinder Singh Rao
Treating Tricuspid Valve Barlow’s Disease can be particularly challenging because of the unusual anatomy and excessive, floppy valve tissue. For selected patients who may face significant risks from conventional surgery, Tricuspid TEER could provide a less invasive treatment option.
The landmark procedure demonstrates how advances in structural heart interventions are expanding treatment possibilities for patients with complex and rare heart valve disorders, offering a new ray of hope without the need for open-heart surgery.
