Johns Hopkins Hospital Structural Heart Disease Team

The Johns Hopkins Hospital Structural Heart Disease Team recently performed its first commercially approved transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR) using the Evoque system – the first FDA-approved device specifically designed for this procedure.

This new device enables physicians to replace the tricuspid valve through a catheter without the need for open-heart surgery. It represents a major advance in treating severe tricuspid regurgitation, offering a minimally invasive option for patients who are high-risk surgical candidates and whose anatomy limits traditional repair approaches.

Johns Hopkins participated in the national clinical trial that led to the system’s approval as well as other transcatheter therapies and remains among the most experienced centers in the region in performing catheter-based valve repairs and replacements.

“This puts Johns Hopkins at the forefront of transcatheter tricuspid valve innovation,” says Dr. Rani Hasan, Director of the Johns Hopkins Cardiovascular Interventional Laboratory and chief of the Interventional Cardiology section in the Division of Cardiology. “Our involvement in both the clinical trial and commercial rollout allows us to deliver cutting-edge, evidence-based care to patients who previously had few options.”

He adds that the therapy offers new hope for patients once considered inoperable – helping them address the root cause of their symptoms, regain energy, and return to daily life more quickly.

The team’s first patient – an 80-plus year-old woman with severe tricuspid regurgitation (a leaky heart valve causing blood backflow) – was discharged the next day with a well-functioning bioprosthetic valve, marking a rapid recovery and a restored quality of life.

Dr. Hasan credits the successful outcome to the expertise and coordination of a multidisciplinary team, which includes cardiac anesthesia, nursing, radiology, echocardiography, and the Cardiovascular Interventional Laboratory.