For a year now, we have been offering a new treatment at the USZ that has been specially developed for people with severe aortic insufficiency and closes an important gap in care.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI) has been an established therapy for the treatment of narrowing of the aortic valve, also known as aortic stenosis, for almost twenty years. However, only recently has a therapy for severe aortic valve leakage (aortic insufficiency) been approved in Europe using a specially developed TAVI – the Trilogy valve. For more than a year now, we have been the first cardiology clinic in Switzerland to successfully use this method, offering patients with severe aortic insufficiency a gentle alternative when open surgery is too risky.
In aortic insufficiency, the aortic valve no longer closes completely, causing blood to flow back through the valve into the left ventricle and impairing heart function. In contrast to aortic stenosis, the valve in aortic insufficiency is usually not calcified. Conventional TAVI valve systems require a certain amount of calcification in order to anchor themselves well in the heart. If this important support is missing, the risk of surgery increases significantly.
The Trilogy valve is positioned exactly anatomically in the non-calcified natural aortic valve by means of three clips and securely anchored.
Positive experiences in our clinic
We perform the procedure under light sedation and local anesthesia via the inguinal vessels. The valve is inserted using a catheter. The procedure takes around 30 minutes.
The results so far have been very positive. All procedures were successful and without valve-related complications. The first control examinations also show very good results without any relevant residual leakage of the new valve.
Aortic insufficiency accounts for approx. 15% of all heart valve defects requiring treatment. In Switzerland, this affects around 200 to 300 people a year. For many of these patients, we can now offer a safe and gentle treatment option with the Trilogy valve.
For further information or referrals, please do not hesitate to contact us at the Clinic for Cardiology.
