The tricuspid valve controls blood flow between the right upper and lower chambers of the heart. When this valve does not close properly or becomes damaged, blood can flow backward, forcing the heart to work harder and causing symptoms such as fatigue, swelling and shortness of breath.
Our Capabilities
At UC Health, structural heart specialists and cardiac surgeons offer the full spectrum of tricuspid valve treatment, including minimally invasive transcatheter procedures, surgical valve repair and advanced regenerative surgical valve replacement. Your care team will recommend the treatment that best fits your condition, heart function, valve anatomy and overall health.
Tricuspid valve disease can interfere with the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently. Treatment may be recommended when symptoms become significant, heart function is affected or valve damage continues to worsen.
Tricuspid valve treatment may help:
UC Health offers several approaches to treating tricuspid valve disease.
Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a catheter inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin. Using advanced imaging guidance, specialists repair the valve without opening the chest.
This approach may be an option for patients who are at higher risk for traditional surgery or who may benefit from a less invasive treatment.
In some cases, the damaged valve can be replaced using a transcatheter approach. During the procedure, specialists guide a replacement valve to the heart through a catheter and position it within the existing valve.
This minimally invasive treatment can help restore normal blood flow while avoiding open-heart surgery for select patients.
Annuloplasty is a surgical procedure used to repair the tricuspid valve. During surgery, the surgeon tightens or reinforces the valve's ring-like structure, known as the annulus, to help the valve close more effectively.
Repairing the native valve is often preferred when the valve can be restored to function properly.
When the valve cannot be repaired, surgical valve replacement may be recommended. During this procedure, the damaged valve is removed and replaced with a new valve. UC Health also offers the CorTricuspid ECM® Valve, a revolutionary tissue-engineered tricuspid valve designed to be repopulated by the patient's own cells and remodel over time into living, functional valve tissue. UC Health was the first adult center in Ohio to implant this regenerative valve and is one of a very limited number of centers in the United States able to offer this technology.
This regenerative approach is fundamentally different from a conventional prosthetic valve: rather than remaining a permanent synthetic or fixed biologic implant, the tissue-engineered scaffold is designed to become integrated with the patient's own tissue over time. Valve replacement can restore proper blood flow and reduce symptoms caused by severe valve disease.
You may be a candidate for tricuspid valve treatment if you have:
Our structural heart team performs a thorough evaluation to determine the safest and most effective treatment option for you.
Not every patient with tricuspid valve disease needs the same treatment. Your care team will evaluate your symptoms, heart function, valve anatomy and overall health to determine the best approach.
Factors that help guide treatment recommendations include:
At UC Health, structural heart specialists and cardiac surgeons work together to review each case and recommend the treatment option that offers the best potential outcome.
UC Health offers access to specialists with expertise in structural heart disease, minimally invasive valve procedures and complex cardiac surgery. Our program also provides access to regenerative tissue-engineered tricuspid valve replacement with the CorTricuspid ECM® Valve - a technology available at only a very limited number of centers nationally, with UC being the only one in the region. Our heart team works together to evaluate every patient and recommend the treatment approach that best matches their condition and goals.
If you have been diagnosed with tricuspid valve disease or are experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue or swelling, our structural heart specialists can help determine whether tricuspid valve treatment is right for you.
Call 513-475-8521 or request an appointment online to learn more.
Content is written in plain language in collaboration with UC Health clinicians to reflect current evidence‑based care. If your plan differs from what’s described here, follow your care team’s instructions.
Page updated 8/27/2026
Medical review by Dr. Cristiano Spadaccio, MD, PhD