(Press-News.org) DETROIT (April 12, 2023) – Henry Ford Hospital structural heart interventional cardiologists Pedro Villablanca, M.D., and Brian O’Neill, M.D., are the first in the U.S. to successfully implant the new transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement device LuX-Valve Plus™ for the treatment of patients with symptomatic tricuspid valve disease for whom traditional open-heart surgery is too high of a risk.
“These are patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation who have no other options available to them in the U.S., based on the anatomy of their native valve and medical complexities,” said Dr. Villablanca.
Pioneering this novel valve replacement approach, Dr. Villablanca and Dr. O’Neill successfully performed the first U.S. procedure for Norma O’Connor, an 80-year-old Detroit-area woman with severe tricuspid regurgitation, when it became evident that no other means would work. Traditional valve replacement was not medically viable for the patient, who is currently thriving after surgery.
In this minimally invasive procedure, Drs. Villablanca and O’Neill insert a new valve through a catheter via a small incision in the patient’s neck without removing the old, damaged valve. Then, under the guidance of advanced real-time intraprocedural 3D imaging and 4D modeling, the new valve is placed inside the old valve, replacing the function of the diseased valve.
“It is incredible to see the new valve functioning immediately upon positioning in the heart, the right side of the heart’s function started improving withing minutes of successful implant,” said Dee Dee Wang, M.D., Henry Ford Health Structural Heart imaging cardiologist.
The tricuspid valve controls blood flow between the two right-sided chambers of the heart. When the tricuspid valve starts to fail, blood can leak backwards into the top chamber of the heart, causing it to pump harder to move blood through the valve. In severe cases, this condition can cause pressure to rise in the top and bottom right-sided chambers of the heart, causing the chambers to expand and weaken over time, which leads to heart failure.
Tricuspid regurgitation is fairly common in the U.S. Traces of it can be found in about 50-60% of young adults while mild cases can occur in about 15% of adults. About 1.6 million people in the U.S. have moderate or severe cases and some 70 million people have some form of the condition worldwide.
Common symptoms associated with this condition include fatigue, swelling of the legs, abdominal bloating and shortness of breath. People who have been admitted for heart failure may also be candidates for the procedure.
“This is a condition that commonly occurs with aging. As people age, the valve naturally deteriorates,” said Dr. Villablanca. He added that often, in people with pacemakers, the device’s wires implanted across the heart can also pinch the tricuspid valve and cause leaking.
Drs. O’Neill, Villablanca and William O’Neill developed the minimally invasive implant procedure, leading the effort to make the novel valve system available to patients across the country.
“We’re hoping to leverage our experience with very sick patients who are out of options to help lead a clinical trial which can better evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel valve in all patients,” said Dr. Brian O’Neill. “Patients come to Henry Ford Health’s Center for Structural Heart Disease with complex heart conditions, and we do whatever we can to help them find a solution.”
He added that for patients who have symptoms associated with a leaky tricuspid valve and have been told there’s nothing that can be done, or who want to find an alternative to surgery, they should contact the Henry Ford Structural Heart team to explore options that may be available to them.
Without the requirement of open-heart surgery, this minimally invasive tricuspid valve replacement procedure can be performed with a shorter procedural time, allowing for faster recovery, and the ability for patients to return home in a matter of days.
To learn more about Henry Ford Health’s Center for Structural Heart Disease, visit henryford.com/services/structural-heart.
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ABOUT HENRY FORD HEALTH
Serving communities across Michigan and beyond, Henry Ford Health is committed to partnering with patients and members along their entire health journey. Henry Ford Health provides a full continuum of services – from primary and preventative care, to complex and specialty care, health insurance, a full suite of home health offerings, virtual care, pharmacy, eye care and other healthcare retail.
It is one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers, recognized for clinical excellence in cancer care, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, and multi-organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top five NIH-funded institutions in Michigan, Henry Ford Health engages in more than 2,000 research projects annually. Equally committed to educating the next generation of health professionals, Henry Ford Health trains more than 4,000 medical students, residents and fellows every year across 50+ accredited programs.
With more than 33,000 valued team members, Henry Ford Health is also among Michigan’s largest and most diverse employers, including nearly 6,000 physicians and researchers from the Henry Ford Medical Group, Henry Ford Physician Network and Jackson Health Network.
The health system is led by President and CEO Robert G. Riney and serves a growing number of customers across 250+ locations throughout Michigan including five acute care hospitals, two destination facilities for complex cancer and orthopedics and sports medicine care, three behavioral health facilities, primary care and urgent care centers.
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