Newly-Approved TEER Device Facilitates Minimally-Invasive Heart Valve Repair

Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is a new, minimally-invasive heart procedure designed to treat tricuspid regurgitation: a leaky heart valve condition that affects 1.6 million Americans. Through this procedure, the innovative Abbott TriClip is attached to the leaky heart valve to seal it off and restore normal blood flow. The device recently underwent clinical trials and subsequently gained FDA approval. TEER, along with other new minimally-invasive techniques like TAVI, can improve quality of life for patients with heart conditions “without the high procedural risk often associated with [open-heart] surgery,” said Gagan D. Singh, assistant professor and board-certified interventional cardiologist at UC Davis Medical Center.

TEER seals off valve flaps to prevent leaks

The Abbott TriClip is designed to fit the heart’s tricuspid valve’s exact shape, position, and location, so it can effectively seal the valve flaps, prevent leaks, and therefore treat tricuspid regurgitation. To install the device, the patient is put under general anesthesia, and a catheter, inserted into the groin, moves the TriClip to the heart. This process is guided by ultrasound and X-ray. Once it reaches the heart, the clip attaches to the valve flaps to form a seal. “This minimally-invasive approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently and relieve tricuspid regurgitation symptoms,” said Jason H. Rogers, cardiovascular medicine professor at UC Davis Medical Center (one of the first health centers nationwide to use TEER).  

TAVI replaces faulty heart valves

Similar to TEER, TAVI (transcatheter valve implantation) is another new minimally-invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. TAVI is specifically used to treat aortic stenosis, which occurs when the aortic valve is too narrow for blood to flow properly. Notably, TAVI had been found more effective than open-heart surgery in terms of rates of mortality and stroke three years after the procedure, a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals. During the transcatheter procedure, a new valve is inserted into the heart in order to regulate blood flow on behalf of the old, faulty one. Symptoms, such as, chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath are reduced as a result.

Heart repair without risk associated with open-heart surgery

Open-heart surgery treats numerous heart conditions, including tricuspid regurgitation and aortic stenosis. Yet, as patients with severe conditions are typically at high risk of complications, surgery generally isn’t recommended in these cases. In particular, “patients with tricuspid regurgitation are at extremely high risk for any type of surgical intervention, so historically they have just been monitored and treated with diuretics” and drugs, explained Rogers. But, in contrast to meds that merely manage symptoms, TEER (and TAVI) repair the heart directly — and they do so without the need for major surgery.

“Being one of the first centers in the country to offer commercial availability of the TriClip system is a true honor and a testament to the excellent team-based approach to patient care at UC Davis Health,” Singh commented. Indeed, thanks to recent advancements like TEER and TAVI, patients with heart conditions can now reduce symptoms and benefit from improved quality of life without high-risk surgery.