Baptist Health First in Arkansas to Offer Abbott TriClip, Minimally Invasive Therapy For Heart Valve Condition

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health's cardiology team in Little Rock now provides Abbott's TriClip™ transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, an advanced, minimally invasive treatment option for tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a condition where the tricuspid valve leaks. This innovative therapy eliminates the necessity for open-heart surgery.

The first-in-class TriClip system has demonstrated both safety and effectiveness, leading to an overall improvement in patient well-being.

“We are thrilled to be the first in Arkansas to offer this technology,” cardiologist Evan Watts, MD, said. "The TriClip system provides a much-needed treatment option for patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation, offering them a minimally invasive way to improve their heart function and overall quality of life." 

TriClip is delivered to the heart via a catheter inserted through the femoral vein in the leg and works by clipping together a portion of the leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the backflow of blood. 

Designed specifically for the right side of the heart and the tricuspid valve’s complex anatomy, the innovative TriClip and steerable guiding catheter systems allow physicians to independently grasp and effectively clip leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the regurgitation. This minimally invasive approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently and relieve symptoms of TR, which improves the quality of life for patients. 

Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a condition in which the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) don’t close properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the right atrium of the heart. 

The disease is often debilitating, causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue, and when left untreated, may progress into conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure and, ultimately, death.

 Traditionally, the only treatment options for TR have been surgery, which is rarely performed due to the complexity of the procedure and high risks involved, and medical therapy, which is usually not successful in reducing TR. Abbott's TriClip device offers a critical treatment alternative for individuals affected by this condition. 

Abbott recently announced that the TriClip TEER system received FDA approval.

For more information about the Abbott TriClip™ transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, visit Baptist-Health.com.

About Baptist Health

For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 250 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 100 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 11,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app.