Triumphing over Tricuspid Troubles

Undergoing new heart procedure was ‘no big deal’ for local woman

A Crown Point woman can breathe and walk more easily after cardiac specialists at Community Hospital in Munster took a new, less invasive approach to treating her heart condition.

In fall 2024, 80-year-old mother and grandmother Gladys Schliemann was the first patient in Indiana to undergo transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement (TTVR).

“I was walking with a cane, but I don’t need to do that anymore,” Gladys said. “I’m not at all tired like I was. I’m not short of breath. The cold air would take my breath away and make my heart race, but now it doesn’t.”

TTVR treats tricuspid regurgitation, a life-threatening heart condition that affects about 1.6 million Americans, according to the Journal of American College of Cardiology. It occurs when the tricuspid valve on the right side of the heart does not close properly, and blood flows backward from the ventricle to the atrium. This causes a patient’s heart to work harder to move blood through the valve.

Left untreated, tricuspid regurgitation may lead to heart failure. Treatment options include medication or surgery to repair the valve, depending on the severity. Patients often do not notice symptoms – such as abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue and swelling in the abdomen, legs and neck veins – until their condition worsens.

Gladys began noticing the impact of the heart condition when everyday tasks became increasingly difficult.

“First, you can’t vacuum and then you can’t sweep,” she said. “It’s aggravating not to be able to do anything. I’m not someone who sits around.”

Gladys, who had a heart murmur for some time, delayed treatment for the murmur because she feared undergoing open-heart surgery. Her pulmonologist in June 2024 told her about the TTVR procedure at Powers Health. After considering it for a couple of months, Gladys made an appointment to learn more.

Using the EVOQUE tricuspid valve device offered by Edwards Lifesciences, the TTVR procedure is beneficial in treating patients who have severe tricuspid regurgitation without having to undergo conventional open-heart surgery. The device is implanted using a catheter threaded through the femoral vein to the heart.

“The tricuspid valve is complex anatomically,” said Samer Abbas, MD, co-medical director of Cardiovascular Services for Powers Health and medical director of the Structural Heart and Valve Clinic of Powers Health. “This innovative procedure allows us to treat our patients who have severe tricuspid regurgitation through transcatheter intervention. Because of that, patients will typically experience a faster recovery time and an improved quality of life.”

Gladys met with members of the Structural Heart team at Community Hospital, including Dr. Abbas and cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgeon Michael Eng, MD, the two doctors who are trained to perform this delicate procedure. They explained TTVR and how it could greatly improve her life.

She then underwent a full work-up of tests to ensure she was a good candidate for the procedure. One of the tests is an advanced echocardiogram, which was performed by cardiologist Omar Husseini, MD, Powers Health Advanced Echo Imager.

After a bout with COVID-19 briefly delayed the date of her surgery, Gladys arrived at the hospital the morning of Oct. 14 and became the first patient to undergo TTVR at Powers Health and in Indiana.

“It was no big deal,” she said. “I was out of bed and moving around later that night and in the hospital for three days altogether.”

To calm her children’s fears leading up to the surgery, Gladys had referred to TTVR only as “a procedure.”

“I was quite relaxed,” she said. “I didn’t worry. I just went in and let them do what they had to do. I put my faith in God.”

Gladys’ follow-up appointments have shown her body is responding well to the procedure, and cardiac rehabilitation has supported her progress. She even returned to working part time at a quick-service restaurant to keep busy.

The EVOQUE system leads to fewer symptoms and significant improvements in quality of life for our patients, said Dale O’Donnell, vice president of Cardiology Services for Powers Health.

“Powers Health is proud to be among the first to offer this procedure,” he said.