Patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation (leaky heart valve) that have difficulty going for open-heart surgeries can now benefit from the newest non-invasive TriClip procedure by Institute Jantung Negara (IJN).
Note that IJN is the first hospital in Malaysia to successfully perform the TriClip procedure. The TriClip procedure works to repair the tricuspid valve by delivering a system of clips to the heart through the femoral vein in the leg. By clipping together a portion of the tricuspid valve, the device reduces the backflow of blood in the heart.
The procedure was carried out on two patients at IJN on 17 Mar 2023 by a specialised team that included Senior Consultant Cardiologist Datuk Dr Amin Ariff Nuruddin and IJN Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Clinical Director and Consultant Cardiologist Datuk Dr Azmee Mohd Ghazi.
“Both patients are doing well post-procedure and are on the road to recovery,” said Dr Azmee.
He added that surgery is oftentimes not a viable option for many, especially those with comorbidities, pacemakers or other underlying conditions. The availability of innovative and proven therapies can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life.
The TriClip procedure is the latest addition to IJN’s widening range of minimally invasive treatment options for patients with leaky heart valves. Recovery after the procedure is much faster compared to an open heart surgery which would require around one week in the hospital and another six weeks of resting period. With the TriClip, the procedure takes an estimated one-week duration in the hospital and another one week’s worth of rest.
Also, the duration of the procedure could be around 2 hours or more, depending on the skill of the surgeon, as well as the image from the echo, which guides the surgeon’s work. However, concerning the feasibility of the TriClip procedure, the learning curve is rather steep and doctors that are able to execute it require specialised training. But IJN is open to training any other hospitals in the country that are willing to come and learn the procedure.
