Treatment

If your valve isn’t leaking very much, you may not need treatment. You and your doctor will come up with a plan to 1) closely watch the valve and the amount of blood leaking and 2) find and treat any condition(s) that led to the valve not closing properly.

If the valve is causing you symptoms, such as swelling, shortness of breath or fatigue, you will likely be started on medication. There are also ways to fix the valve if symptoms start to disrupt your quality of life and what you’re able to do.

Many patients say it’s helpful to know all of the treatments that are available, even if some are not recommended until later stages of disease. Treatments mostly include:

• Close monitoring and echocardiograms
• Medications (mostly diuretics)
• Procedures to fix or replace the valve for some patients

Several factors may help you and your care team decide what treatment(s) is best for you. For example:

• How leaky your valve is
• The valve’s structure or shape
• How the condition affects your daily life, and what you can and can’t do  
• Other heart conditions you have (heart failure, blocked arteries that reduce blood flow to the heart, mitral valve disease, atrial fibrillation)
• Your age and general health  
• Your preferences for care – for example, if you want to undergo a procedure to fix or replace the valve, when the time comes

Medication

Diuretics (also called water pills)

• Help the body get rid of excess fluid from the body
• Reduce swelling (edema) in the belly, ankles or legs
• Ease shortness of breath

Diuretics are not always easy to take because you urinate a lot more often. You’ll also need occasional blood tests to check your kidney function.

Many people also take medicines to control atrial fibrillation. 

Procedures to fix the valve

There might come a time when medications may not be enough and you may need a procedure to repair or replace the valve. This may involve using a clip or clasp to pull the leaflets together or placing a new valve inside the leaky valve.

There are two ways to reach the tricuspid valve to be able to fix it:

1. Going through a vein in the leg or groin (“minimally invasive” or “catheter-based” procedure) using a small, flexible tube or
2. With open-heart surgery (less often done, usually only if someone is undergoing surgery for another reason like fixing another or opening blocked arteries).

Managing other conditions

Many people with tricuspid regurgitation have other heart conditions too. Some common ones include:

• High blood pressure
• Atrial fibrillation (AFib)
• Aortic or mitral valve disease
• Heart failure

It’s important that any other heart conditions be closely monitored and managed. Doing so may also help the leaky valve get better too.

As with any heart condition, it’s important to eat heart-healthy foods, move your body as you are able, not smoke, get plenty of sleep, and lower stress.