SINGAPORE – Patients with leaky heart valve have more minimally invasive options to treat the condition, after two new procedures were introduced at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS).
Also known as tricuspid regurgitation, the heart condition occurs when the valve between the two chambers in the right side of the heart does not close properly, causing blood to leak backwards.
When the regurgitation becomes severe, it can lead to congestion in various organs, such as the liver and the kidney, and affect their functions.
On Wednesday (May 11), Dr Wong Ningyan, a consultant at NHCS’ Department of Cardiology, cited studies which showed that 36 per cent of patients with a severe form of the condition will die within one year of diagnosis if the leaky heart valve is not treated.
Only 14 per cent of patients in the study survived for 10 years or more after their diagnosis.
Dr Wong said that patients with the condition were previously given medication to alleviate their symptoms, such as breathlessness or swelling in the legs and belly, and at times underwent surgery to repair or replace the valve.
But many patients, who have a high risk of complications from such a surgical procedure, have to leave their condition largely untreated, he added.