Significant Advancement for People Living with a Heart Condition that Impacts Their Quality of Life

Gregory, a Vietnam veteran and retired U.S. Air Force member, is again pursuing his passions – tai chi, golf, and traveling – thanks to a first-of-its-kind device that treats a leaky heart valve.
 
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a leaky tricuspid heart valve, can cause people to have debilitating symptoms that severely impact their quality of life. Walking down a hallway can feel like a marathon, tying your shoes can be nearly impossible and eating can cause major discomfort.
 
Historically, the only way to improve the lives of the more than 1.6 million people in the U.S. who live with tricuspid regurgitation was open-heart surgery. Countless people with tricuspid regurgitation, like Gregory, are unable to withstand surgery due to age or other health conditions and were previously left with no other option but to wait for their hearts to fail.
 
However, that has recently changed with the FDA approval of a life-changing treatment option. Abbott’s TriClip™ transcatheter edge-to-edge (TEER) repair system is the only minimally invasive treatment option for tricuspid regurgitation and gives people like Gregory hope through this new option.

Gregory and Dr. Nadim Geloo, senior medical director for Abbott’s structural heart business, will share the science behind the device, information about this important advancement for people with this condition, and how Gregory’s life has positively changed since his procedure.