St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson announced a significant expansion of its cardiovascular program with the introduction of the EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system, offering a minimally invasive treatment option for patients suffering from severe tricuspid valve regurgitation.
Tricuspid regurgitation is a condition in which the heart’s tricuspid valve—located between the right heart chambers—fails to close properly, causing blood to flow backward into the right atrium. This backflow often leads to debilitating symptoms such as severe fatigue, physical swelling, and heart failure.
The EVOQUE system represents a breakthrough as the first minimally invasive tricuspid valve replacement device authorized to treat symptomatic patients without the need for traditional open-heart surgery. Using an advanced catheter technique, specialists guide the replacement valve through the femoral artery, effectively reducing or eliminating regurgitation while promoting faster recovery times.
“St. Joseph’s Health is proud to offer this innovative treatment to our cardiac patients,” Dr. Beth Kushner, interim chief medical officer at St. Joseph’s Health, said. “We continue to expand access to advanced cardiovascular care and offer patients novel therapies and technologies that not only improve blood flow but enhance quality of life.”
With the addition of this technology, the hospital’s Structural Heart team achieves a major clinical milestone, enabling specialists to repair or replace all four of the heart’s primary valves.
“Introducing this procedure is an important milestone for our cardiovascular program, allowing our Structural Heart team to now repair or replace all four of the heart’s valves,” Dr. Rahul Vasudev, director of Structural Heart at St. Joseph’s Health, said. “Our goal is to provide patients with high-quality, advanced treatment options, while giving specialized care right here in our community.”
Medical leadership notes that the therapy provides renewed hope for individuals with advanced regurgitation who previously faced limited treatment pathways.
“This procedure provides new hope for patients with advanced tricuspid regurgitation that have limited treatment options, as well as the ability to enhance their quality of life without open-heart surgery,” Dr. Bledi Zaku, chief of the department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, said.
Patients seeking more details regarding specialized cardiovascular services can explore resources directly through the St. Joseph’s Health Cardiac Care Portal.
