Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA — The structural heart team at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital (SBCH) now offers the TriClipTM transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, a minimally invasive therapy for treating patients with a leaky heart valve, known as tricuspid regurgitation or “TR.” SBCH is the first hospital on the Central Coast to provide this innovative therapy.
“We are proud to make this treatment option available to our patients who suffer from a leaky tricuspid valve,” said Michael Shenoda, MD, interventional cardiologist. “Previously, patients living with TR faced the prospect of invasive open-heart surgery. With this new option, we provide a less invasive alternative, marking a significant advancement in cardiac care.”
TriClipTM is delivered to the heart through a vein in the leg. It clips together a portion of the tricuspid valve’s leaflets, reducing blood backflow. This minimally invasive approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently. It can relieve symptoms of TR, improving the quality of life for patients who might otherwise require an invasive procedure or go untreated.
“The TriClipTM system provides a significantly less invasive solution for patients living with tricuspid regurgitation,” said Joseph Aragon, MD, interventional cardiologist. “This advanced therapy elevates the standard of cardiac care we offer, allowing our patients to receive top-tier treatment without needing to travel out of the area.”
Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a condition in which the valve between the two right heart chambers (right ventricle and right atrium) doesn’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. If left untreated, this may progress into conditions such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure.
Traditionally, the only treatment options for TR have been open-heart surgery. The condition typically impacts older individuals who have multiple medical conditions, making open-heart surgery a high-risk procedure and resulting in many people going undertreated.
The Heart and Vascular Center at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a nationally recognized regional destination for cardiovascular expertise and medical management of complex heart and vascular conditions.
For more information about Cottage Heart & Vascular Center, visit cottagehealth.org/heart.
About Cottage Health | CottageHealth.org — The not-for-profit Cottage Health provides advanced medical care to the Central Coast region. In the past year, Cottage Health hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley provided care for 20,201 inpatient admissions and 87,356 emergency department visits and helped deliver 1,772 newborns. Comprised of more than 700 physicians, many with subspecialties typically found only at university medical centers, Cottage Health’s comprehensive range of specialized services includes the Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Level 1 Trauma Center, Neuroscience Institute, Heart & Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation Hospital. Beyond hospital settings, Cottage Health offers primary care and specialty clinics, Cottage Urgent Care Centers throughout the tri-counties, and 24-hour access to providers via Cottage Virtual Care (English and Spanish), an online service for common conditions.