Interventional cardiologists complete first heart procedure of its kind in North America

Interventional cardiologists at Cleveland Clinic have successfully completed the first implantation in North America of the TricValve Transcatheter Bicaval Valves System. The patient for his historic procedure was an 82-year-old man presenting with severe symptomatic tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and right heart failure (RHF).

The structural heart procedure occurred in February 2022.

Rishi Puri, MD, PhD, an interventional cardiologist with Cleveland Clinic, and Samir Kapadia, MD, chair of cardiovascular medicine at Cleveland Clinic, performed the procedure. Puri has years of experience with the TricValve system, participating in a thorough analysis of its safety and effectiveness in 2021.

The TricValve system features two biological valves designed to be implanted via femoral vein access into the patient’s superior vena cava and inferior vena cava. This allows a therapy without impacting the patient's native tricuspid valve. It is available in multiple sizes, allowing cardiologists to choose the best option for each individual patient.

Cleveland Clinic’s statement detailing the successful procedure notes that patients with severe TR and RHF have typically had limited treatment options. Tricuspid valve surgery is associated with significant risks, for instance, and prescribing diuretics is problematic when the patient also presents with kidney problems.