The tricuspid valve is often referred to as the 'forgotten valve' by both cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. However, as more research is being completed, there is now increased awareness of the importance of early intervention to treat any difficulties with this valve. Mr Zacharias and his team have the largest experience of endoscopic tricuspid valve repair or replacement and have presented and published their results on this topic.
For a proportion of patients with a long-standing leaky tricuspid valve, the risks are higher due to long term effects of the leak on the pumping chambers of the heart. Many patients who develop a leak in their tricuspid valve may already have had a previous heart operation via a sternotomy (open chest) approach and may wish to consider a minimally invasive, endoscopic approach for any further tricuspid valve surgery as discussed in this video. Prior to surgery, a CT scan helps to inform the most appropriate surgical intervention for your specifc cardiac condition.
If you are keen to be considered for an endoscopic approach (for initial or re-do surgical intervention), Mr Zacharias would be happy to discuss this with you in detail.
