Novel implant for the treatment of valvular heart disease

In a complex procedure, a team from the Department of Cardiac Surgery at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has, for the first time, successfully inserted a novel implant for treating tricuspid valve regurgitation via a single access on one side of the groin. Tricuspid valve leakage is one of the most common valvular heart diseases. This causes blood to flow back into the right atrium and the vena cava, which manifests itself in water retention in the legs and abdomen, congested neck veins, as well as a drop in overall performance and shortness of breath. Approximately 90% of leaks in the tricuspid valve position are due to significant dilatation of the valve leaflet. A new implant has been developed to treat this very mechanism: the Cardioband is anchored into the valve annulus with the aid of precise apparatus using 17 screws. At University Hospital Vienna, this innovative prosthesis was recently implanted into a patient for the first time. The procedure was so successful that heart valve regurgitation was reduced by more than half and the patient is once again able to lead a largely normal life.