Treatment of tricuspid valve disease depends on the specific valve condition and how severe it is.
Treatment may include:
- Regular health checkups.
- Medicines.
- Surgery to fix or replace the valve.
If tricuspid valve disease symptoms are not bothering you, you may only need regular echocardiograms to see how the valve is working.
Medications
Medicine may be used to treat:
- The underlying cause of tricuspid valve disease.
- Complications such as heart failure.
For example, diuretics, also called water pills, may be given to help remove fluid from the body.
If a current infection causes tricuspid valve disease, antibiotics are usually given.
If a lung condition causes tricuspid valve disease, oxygen therapy may help reduce symptoms.
Surgeries or other procedures
If you have severe tricuspid valve disease, surgery may be done to fix or replace the valve.
Balloon valvotomy
This treatment may be done if you have tricuspid stenosis. A doctor places a thin tube with a balloon on the end into a blood vessel and guides it to the heart. Once in place, the balloon inflates. This makes the valve opening wider, improving blood flow. The catheter and balloon are removed.
Tricuspid valve repair and replacement
Tricuspid valve repair and tricuspid valve replacement are types of heart surgery. They can help improve blood flow and reduce symptoms.
The type of tricuspid valve surgery needed depends on:
- The symptoms.
- How severe tricuspid valve disease is, also called the stage.
- Age and overall health.
- Whether the condition is getting worse.
- Whether surgery is needed to correct another valve or heart condition.
Surgeons do tricuspid valve repair when possible. Repair saves the heart valve and improves how the heart works. Tricuspid valve repair is usually done with open-heart surgery. Sometimes, a tricuspid valve can be repaired with minimally invasive heart surgery or a procedure using thin tubes called catheters and a clip.
If the tricuspid valve can’t be fixed, a surgeon removes the damaged or diseased valve. The valve is most often replaced with a valve made from cow, pig or human heart tissue. A tissue valve is called a biological valve. Rarely, a mechanical valve is used.
If you have a biological tissue tricuspid valve that’s no longer working, a doctor may use a catheter-based treatment instead of open-heart surgery to replace the valve. A catheter is a thin flexible tube. The doctor puts the tube into a blood vessel and guides it to the tricuspid valve. The replacement valve goes through the tube and into the existing biological valve.
If tricuspid valve disease is due to a heart condition present at birth, several other treatments or surgeries may be needed.
Talk with your healthcare team about all your treatment options. Together you can decide which treatment is best for you.
