Keyhole Tricuspid Valve Repair & Replacement Surgery

Minimally invasive tricuspid valve repair or replacement treatments can effectively manage valvular heart disease, such as tricuspid regurgitation. Our keyhole approach reduces the infection risks and supports a smoother recovery compared with open-heart surgery.

2 Weeks

is the average surgery wait time*

1500

minimally invasive procedures

100+

5-star patient reviews.
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35 Years

of clinical and surgical experience

Get In Touch With Our Expert Team At The Keyhole Heart Clinic.

+44 20 8079 7860

KEYHOLE SURGERY

HEART CONDITIONS

Tricuspid Valve Replacement & Repair

As with all heart disease, it must be diagnosed quickly and treated by experts, which we offer at our London Heart Medical Centre. We understand that heart disease can be scary, and that if you are diagnosed with it, it’s best to be prepared and to have all the information you may need.

Read our outline on why you may need tricuspid surgery, how we perform it, and the advantages of having minimally invasive surgery in London.

What is a Tricuspid Valve & Why Does it Matter?

Your tricuspid valve functions like a one-way door, separating two chambers on the right side of your heart. The heart valve:

Opens to let blood flow from your right atrium (upper chamber) into your right ventricle (lower chamber)
Then closes to prevent blood from flowing backwards.

When the tricuspid valve isn’t working properly, blood won’t flow correctly, which:

Interferes with how your heart works.
Forces your heart to work harder to get the blood flow to the various parts of your body that it needs to.
Puts extra stress on your heart, which can lead to a larger risk of heart problems, increased blood pressure and attacks.

Think of your tricuspid valve like an umbrella with valve flaps (called valve leaflets) that open and close. Most people have three tricuspid valve leaflets, which is why it’s called “tri-cuspid” (tri = three).

When You Might Need a Tricuspid Valve Repair or Replacement

A tricuspid heart valve replacement or repair is used to manage heart valve disease and other conditions affecting the tricuspid valve.

Tricuspid regurgitation is the most common tricuspid valve disease, characterised by the valve leaking.
Tricuspid stenosis, a narrowing of the valve, is much rarer.
Some cases also result from congenital heart defects, where the valve is malformed from birth.

The need for surgery will vary from person to person, and your symptoms will be monitored by your doctor. In some cases, monitoring alone is sufficient.

When intervention is necessary, these procedures can be performed as part of cardiothoracic surgery for related heart conditions.

Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is the most common condition affecting the tricuspid valve. Mild TR is quite common and usually harmless.

Moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation, on the other hand, can strain the heart, cause damage, and lead to serious complications if left untreated.

There are two types of tricuspid valve regurgitation:

Primary Tricuspid Regurgitation

Primary valve regurgitation occurs in about 8–10% of cases it is due to problems with the valve itself, such as:

Congenital defects
Infections
Rheumatic fever
Trauma
Radiation
Certain medications
Wires from a pacemaker/defibrillator

Because the valve is directly damaged, severe tricuspid regurgitation cases usually require surgical repair or replacement.

Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation

Secondary, or functional, tricuspid regurgitation occurs when other heart problems cause the right side of the heart and valve ring to stretch. These include:

Left-sided heart disease
Long-term atrial fibrillation
Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure)

Treatment focuses on managing the underlying condition, but if TR remains moderate or severe, repairing the leaky valve or replacement during heart surgery is often recommended.

Tricuspid Stenosis

Tricuspid valve stenosis (TVS) is observed in fewer than 1% of patients in developed countries and approximately 3% worldwide. The tricuspid valve becomes thickened or stiff.

Most cases are caused by rheumatic heart disease (a complication of rheumatic fever). Other causes include:

Congenital abnormalities (such as Ebstein’s anomaly)
Carcinoid syndrome
Previous radiation therapy
Infections like endocarditis
Trauma from pacemaker leads or biopsies
Rare conditions such as Fabry’s disease or Whipple’s disease

Treatment is usually only needed if TS is severe. It may be performed:

During surgery for another valve problem
On its own, if symptoms are present
In conjunction with a balloon procedure to open the valve in select cases

Tricuspid Atresia

Tricuspid atresia is a congenital heart valve disease that babies are born with. In simple terms, the tricuspid valve never formed properly during pregnancy, so there’s no opening between the two important heart chambers.

Most issues occur by chance during early pregnancy when the baby’s heart is forming. However, some factors may increase the risk:

Down syndrome
Diabetes that wasn’t well-controlled during pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy
Family history of heart problems

Minimally Invasive Tricuspid Valve Replacement or Repair Surgery

Both isolated tricuspid valve repair and tricuspid heart valve replacement can be performed by keyhole (minimally invasive) approaches at our London Heart Clinic.

These cardiovascular surgeries can prevent complications like heart failure and other concerns of tricuspid valve disease.

Tricuspid Valve Repair VS Replacement Keyhole Surgery

We recommend the tricuspid valve repair procedure over replacement in several situations, including:

In association with mitral valve disease, when clinical guidelines are met for repair
When patients have severe tricuspid regurgitation (leak) and experience symptoms such as breathlessness or leg swelling
In cases of tricuspid valve infection
Rarely, when the tricuspid valve is stenosed (narrowed)

How We Perform Tricuspid Valve Surgery

A leading cardiologist and an expert surgical team perform our minimally invasive tricuspid valve surgery. The procedure typically follows these steps:

1. Anaesthesia & Preparation

You are placed under general anaesthesia
Micro-tubes are inserted in the groin to connect to the heart-lung bypass machine for circulation support.
A small right-sided chest incision is made (around the nipple in men, under the breast in women).

2. Accessing the Heart

The right atrium is opened, often without stopping the heart function, allowing access to the valve.

3. Valve Treatment

At this stage, the procedure differs depending on the type of surgery.

For tricuspid valve repair, the valve is restored using a specialised ring to improve function and prevent leakage. They can also repair or patch torn leaflets.
During tricuspid valve replacement surgery, the damaged valve is removed and substituted with a replacement valve.

The choice between tricuspid valve repair or replacement depends on your specific condition and the surgeon’s determination of what is safest and most effective.

4. Closure & Drainage

Incision sites are closed carefully. A chest drainage tube is typically left in place for approximately 24 hours to aid in healing.

5. Post-Operative Monitoring

Our specialist healthcare team closely monitors your progress and prevents infections throughout your hospital stay.

6. Discharge

Most patients are discharged home on days 4 or 5 after surgery.

Replacement Valve Options

When you need a heart valve replacement, you’ll have two main choices, and we’ll work together to find what’s best for your situation.

Tissue (Biological) Valves

These are made from carefully prepared human or animal tissue (usually from pigs or cows). [hide rest of the section under read more] You typically won’t need to take blood thinners long-term unless you already take them for another condition. However, these valves tend to wear out over time and may eventually require replacement.

Mechanical Valves

These are artificial valves designed to last your entire lifetime. [hide rest of the section under read more] The trade-off is that you’ll need to take a blood thinner to prevent blood clots for the rest of your life. This calls for regular blood tests with your healthcare provider to monitor your levels.

Finding the Right Fit for You:

Your age and life circumstances help guide this decision. [hide rest of the section under read more]

Under 50: Mechanical valve recommended as it will outlast tissue valves
50-70: Usually a mechanical valve for better durability
Over 70: Tissue valve preferred to avoid blood thinner risks
Women planning pregnancy: A tissue valve may be safer, as blood thinners can harm developing babies

We’ll discuss all these factors together to make the choice that’s right for your unique tricuspid valve replacement procedure.

Non-Surgical Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair

We offer a non-surgical treatment option, a transcatheter tricuspid valve repair, for patients at higher risk of heart surgery.

Our multidisciplinary heart valve team includes cardiologists, surgeons and radiologists. They work together to choose the safest and most effective treatment for each patient.

Benefits of Keyhole Tricuspid Valve Surgery — Repair & Replacement

There are many benefits to having keyhole surgery for isolated tricuspid valve surgery repair or tricuspid valve replacement, instead of traditional breastbone division methods of open-heart surgery.

We recommend minimally invasive surgery in all cases where it can be utilised, and where the patient is suitable. Here is why:

Lesser recovery time

Because keyhole surgery is minimally invasive and does not involve breaking the breastbone, it only takes a week to heal and to get back to your life.

This is an incredible turnover time, considering that a traditional open heart surgery, through the breastbone, has a recovery time of three months before you can return to normal activities.

Smaller scars

Due to the small size of the incision, your scar will be minimal and will be positioned in a place that will not be too ‘obvious.’ Some of our keyhole surgeries are performed via the groin, meaning you won’t have any scarring of the chest at all.

Usually, open-heart surgery will lead to a 12-inch scar, whereas keyhole surgery will usually only leave you with a 3-inch scar or smaller.

Less pain

Because a smaller incision with no breastbone break is used, the cut during keyhole surgery is much less painful. You may still experience some mild pain, but it will be much milder than traditional open-heart surgery.

Note: You should still rest after keyhole heart surgery.

Less bleeding

Because the incision is so small, the bleeding afterwards will be minimal.

Less chance of infection

There is no risk of bone infection as no bones are broken during the operation. In addition, there is a smaller chance of infection generally due to the smaller incision and less invasive nature of the surgery.

The Keyhole Heart Clinic: Your Innovative Heart Healthcare Team

The next generation of heart surgery is now part of your treatment options at The Keyhole Heart Clinic. In addition to performing tricuspid valve surgery, our lead surgeon, Mr Birdi, has over 20 years of experience with:

We also offer comprehensive heart screening services at our medical centre.

Book your appointment with one of the UK’s top heart valve specialists to discuss your tricuspid valve repair or replacement options.

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