A team of cardiologists at Al Qasimi Hospital successfully replaced two valves in the heart of a 72-year-old woman suffering from tricuspid regurgitation, without resorting to open-heart surgery.

The new procedure was performed in cooperation with medical teams from Germany and Austria.

Tricuspid regurgitation is a disorder in which the heart’s tricuspid valve does not close properly, causing blood to flow backward (leak) into the right upper heart chamber (atrium) when the right lower heart chamber (ventricle) contracts.

The Syrian patient had undergone two open-heart surgeries in a decade and doctors did not want to risk a third one. She had suffered heart failure in addition to experiencing breathing difficulty, fatigue, and fluid build-up in her legs and abdomen.

Dr Arif Al Nooryani, executive director and consultant cardiologist at Al Qasimi Hospital, told Gulf News that the procedure is a very accurate and is considered a leap in cardio treatments. However, it is expensive and can cost upwards of Dh300,00

He added that after conducting several tests, the team decided to replace the valves in the patient’s heart using the minimally invasive procedure,

The patient is recovering well, Dr Al Nooryani said, and can resume normal life.

The new procedure to treat tricuspid regurgitation offers hope to thousands of cardiac patients with similar conditions, Dr Al Nooryani said.

“If the valve problem is minor, it may be treated with medication. But if the heart valve damage is severe, a procedure may be required to repair or replace the malfunctioning valve,” he said

source : gulfnews