Tricuspid valve repair and replacement surgery

The tricuspid valve is one of four heart valves that direct blood flow into and out of your heart. Specifically, the function of the tricuspid valve, also called the right atrioventricular valve, is to control the flow of blood from your heart’s top chamber (right atrium) to the bottom chamber (right ventricle). This valve also helps prevent blood from flowing backward into either of these chambers.

When the tricuspid valve is narrowed (stenosis) or leaky (regurgitation), it cannot perform its usual function, risking abnormal blood flow and forcing your heart to work harder to pump blood. Over time, these conditions may require treatment, including a tricuspid valve repair or replacement surgery.

At Penn Medicine, we treat tricuspid valve disease with advanced surgical procedures, often while operating on another heart condition. Our cardiac surgeons perform tricuspid valve replacement and repair using open-chest surgery, minimally invasive alternatives, and cutting-edge robotic-assisted surgery when possible.

Patients living with tricuspid valve disease who come to Penn Medicine have access to the latest advancements in cardiac surgical care.

Tricuspid valve surgery at Penn takes place in state-of-the-art operating rooms. An expert cardiac anesthesiologist administers general anesthesia to keep you comfortable. During your cardiac surgery, your surgeon:

• Uses a heart-lung bypass machine to keep your blood pumping through your body during the procedure.
• Makes several smaller incisions in your chest (for minimally invasive surgery) or one longer incision in the right part of your chest near the breastbone (for traditional, open-chest surgery).
• Repairs or replaces your damaged tricuspid valve. They can also correct other heart conditions at the same time if you are undergoing complex tricuspid valve surgery.
• Removes you from the bypass machine, ensures your heart is functioning correctly, and closes your incision.

Your recovery time depends on whether you had minimally invasive or open-chest surgery. Less invasive procedures typically require less recovery time and you’ll return to daily activities more quickly. Most people can return to normal activity within three to four months.

Immediately following surgery, our cardiac care team will move you to a post-operative recovery room in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU). After a night or so of observation and recovery assistance there, you will be moved to a general hospital unit to continue recovering from your tricuspid valve surgery before being cleared to return home (usually the following morning). Before you leave, your doctor will provide you with aftercare guidelines — for incision site care, nutrition and exercise limitations, and pain management — so that you or your loved ones know the proper care to take.

Following any type of heart surgery, your doctor may recommend cardiac rehabilitation. Our outpatient program provides post-surgery support through exercise plans, nutrition guidance, and heart health education.