Englewood Health Among First in NJ to Perform Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Replacement

October 11, 2024 — The heart team at Englewood Health performed their first transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement, a new procedure to treat patients with symptomatic severe tricuspid regurgitation.  

EVOQUE™ is the first FDA-approved transcatheter valve replacement for tricuspid valve regurgitation. Englewood Health is one of the first heart centers in New Jersey to use the EVOQUE system since it was FDA approved earlier this year.

“Tricuspid valve regurgitation affects a large number of patients, yet until now there have been limited options for patients with severe symptoms for whom medical therapy was inadequate for improving their condition,” says Joseph De Gregorio, MD, executive director of cardiovascular services at Englewood Health. “With the use of the EVOQUE system, we can now treat even the sickest patients with a minimally invasive catheter-based valve replacement. It’s revolutionary.”

The tricuspid valve controls blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the right side of the heart, keeping the blood flowing in one direction. Tricuspid valve regurgitation occurs when the valve does not close fully and blood leaks backward. A diseased tricuspid valve causes the heart to work harder, which over time can lead to severe fluid retention and heart failure.  

Using the EVOQUE transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement system, made by Edwards Lifesciences, Englewood Health’s heart team advances a replacement valve through the femoral vein in the leg, under fluoroscopic and echocardiographic image guidance, up to the right side of the heart and place the new valve inside the patient’s native valve, which immediately takes over the function of the tricuspid valve.

“With the new transcatheter tricuspid valve system, patients can avoid open heart surgery, and their symptoms are almost immediately improved,” says Ramin Hastings, MD, medical director of the Structural Heart and Valve Program at Englewood Health. “This is a procedure with a high degree of safety with almost no recovery time needed, which improves the quality of life for our patients and can extend longevity.”

“Traditionally, few patients with tricuspid valve regurgitation have isolated tricuspid valve surgery. The tricuspid valve is often repaired in conjunction with other open-heart procedures such as coronary artery bypass or mitral valve repair,” adds Adam Arnofsky, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Englewood Health. “Now the EVOQUE valve is a highly safe option to treat patients with severe symptoms of tricuspid valve regurgitation with this catheter-based intervention.”  

In addition to transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement, Englewood Health’s interventional cardiologists also perform transcatheter tricuspid valve repair for tricuspid regurgitation using the novel TriClip™ device. Englewood Health offers all available options for treating tricuspid valve disease.

About Englewood Health's Heart Program

Englewood Health’s heart program is recognized for its excellence in cardiothoracic surgery and cutting-edge interventional cardiology. The program has earned prestigious accolades, including Newsweek’s Best Cardiac Hospitals in America, U.S. News & World Report’s “High Performing” rating for Heart Failure, and the Society for Thoracic Surgeons' top 3-star rating for coronary artery bypass graft surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement.