MedStar Health First in Maryland to Implant FDA Approved Tricuspid Valves in Patients Without Need for Open Heart Surgery

Two patients at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital receive recently FDA-approved Evoque Tricuspid Valve Replacements for severe tricuspid regurgitation.

BALTIMORE— In two separate procedures, MedStar Health cardiac experts at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital reached new heights in cardiovascular care when they performed the state’s and the system’s first transcatheter tricuspid valve replacements (TTVR) using a recently FDA-approved valve, to treat life-threatening tricuspid regurgitation. On Jan. 7th, the male and female patients, both in their 80’s, received the revolutionary valves delivered via a catheter, foregoing the need for conventional open-heart surgery.

The expandable valve, known as Evoque, is the only FDA-approve transcatheter tricuspid valve in the U.S. Positioning the valve using a catheter, threaded into the heart chamber through a sheath placed in the femoral vein, requires close collaboration among a multi-disciplinary team of cardiac experts. At the helm, are vastly experienced pioneers in minimally invasive cardiac procedures: John Wang, MD, chief of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at MedStar Union Memorial and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, and scientific director for Baltimore cardiovascular research, Brian Bethea, MD, chief of cardiac surgery at MedStar Union Memorial, and Antony Kaliyadan, MD, associate medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at MedStar Union Memorial. 

"These groundbreaking procedures represent a significant advancement in the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation, offering patients a less invasive option with a quicker recovery and improved quality of life,” said Dr. Wang. “I am proud to work alongside our exceptional team to bring this life-saving technology to Maryland and MedStar Health. This achievement is a testament to our commitment to providing the highest level of cardiovascular care to our patients."

"This is a remarkable step forward in how we approach patients who may not be ideal candidates for surgery because of severely leaky tricuspid valves,” said Dr. Bethea. “They are often complicated by an enlarged heart or damaged valve leaflets and other conditions. I can say the entire team is feeling the pride of being able to provide patients with an innovative alternative to traditional open-heart surgery that allows patients to go home just a few days later.”

According to National Institutes of Health, an estimated 1.6 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with tricuspid regurgitation, where the tricuspid valve does not close properly, and blood is allowed to flow backward into the right atrium. If left untreated, the condition may lead to complications that include heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, enlarged right atrium, arrhythmias, reduced blood flow to lungs and liver dysfunction. 

For more information about tricuspid valve replacement at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, call Debra Schindler at 410-274-1260.