Normally, diseases of the tricuspid valve, which separates the right atrium of the heart from the right ventricle and prevents blood regurgitation in to the atrium, requires open heart surgery, which is a risky procedure compared to the new abilities of the Cardioband. Without treatment, a damaged tricuspid valve can cause increased pressure in the heart, water in the legs and abdomen, liver damage, and potential atrial fibrillation.
The technology works with the help of a catheter, securing any openings in the tricuspid valve with small anchors. Leaky tricuspid valves are rarer than leaky mitral valves, which serve the same purpose on the other half of the heart.
“The Cardioband is a minimally invasive therapy which does not require the use of a heart-lung machine, reducing the impact on the patient and lowering the risk,” said professor Francesco Maisano, MD, Director of the Department of Cardiac and Vascular Surgery at UHZ. “Now, even patients previously thought to be inoperable can be treated."
Maisano and his team at the University of Zurich are no strangers to the implementation of novel procedures to treat heart conditions. "Our philosophy at the University Hospital Zurich is to find an individual, simple and safe treatment for each patient, incorporating surgical and interventional methods where necessary," Maisano said.
Valtech is also responsible for a technology called “transfemoral adjustable mitral reconstruction,” which uses direct annuloplasty to reconstruction the mitral valve, again eliminating the need for open heart surgery.
Sources: University of Zurich, Valtech Cardio