Hospital da Luz Coimbra has successfully performed, on April 8, the first intervention to treat a complex case of tricuspid valve insufficiency via Evoque valve implantation. The procedure was conducted by a multidisciplinary team led by Marco Costa , the coordinator of the Cardiovascular Intervention Unit, and integrating cardiologists Luís Paiva , Ana Botelho and Joana Gonçalves, besides nurses and interventional technicians, and elements of the Intensive Care Unit, coordinated by Jorge Pimentel . “The patient in question suffered from severe cardiac insufficiency and multiple comorbidities, and had already been submitted to various cardiac interventions, including pacemaker placement. The clinical situation was particularly complex due to severe tricuspid valvular insufficiency, aggravated by the presence of a pacemaker electro-catheter previously implanted. Therefore, it was not possible to perform conventional cardiac surgery nor resort to valvular repair techniques of “clip” type (edge-to-edge)”, explains Marco Costa. In view of such scenario, the team opted for an innovating approach, applied for the first time in a private hospital in Portugal: the transcatheter implantation of Evoque valve, an innovative solution in the treatment of tricuspid insufficiency . “The intervention, performed on April 8, registered no complications, the final result being excellent. The patient was discharged from hospital two days after showing clinical improvement and perspective of symptoms relief and functional capacity recovery, with a quality of life clearly higher than before”, refers the interventional cardiologist. The technique applied consists in the percutaneous insertion of the valve via catheter, through a small incision (femoral access), a procedure guided by 4D transesophageal echocardiographic imaging in real time. “One of the great advantages is the possibility to offer an effective solution to patients with increased risk for open cardiac surgery, allowing a faster recovery, shorter hospitalization time, and reduced risk of complications, compared to traditional surgery”, adds Marco Costa. A thousand catheterizations This intervention happens in a significant moment for the Cardiovascular Intervention Unit of Hospital da Luz Coimbra, for it is celebrating the milestone of the first thousand catheterizations conducted in the last five years. Among them, we can highlight about 150 valvular interventions, including transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), valvular clip repair in mitral and tricuspid position, left atrial appendage closure, interauricular septal defects closure, and now the Evoque valve implantation. These procedures have played an essential role in the secondary prevention of diseases such as CVA, in the treatment of valvular cardiac insufficiency and coronary disease, besides prevention of myocardial infarction . Therefore, they have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life for numerous patients, avoiding death in many cases. Hospital da Luz Coimbra reaffirms its commitment to technological innovation and clinical excellence, being a national reference in the area of coronary and structural interventional cardiology.
