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Holston Valley Medical Center is the first hospital in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky to offer innovative new procedures for repairing and replacing the tricuspid valve without the need for open-heart surgery. This includes the use of the Abbott TriClip™ transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system — a minimally invasive therapy designed to treat patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a condition caused by a leaky tricuspid valve.

TriClip is a first-of-its-kind therapy that repairs the tricuspid valve and has been clinically proven to be safe, effective and beneficial in improving patients’ quality of life. Delivered to the heart through a catheter inserted via the femoral vein in the leg, TriClip works by clipping together a portion of the valve’s leaflets to reduce the backflow of blood. This minimally invasive approach, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024, allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently, alleviating the symptoms of TR and significantly enhancing patient outcomes.

Dr. Gaurav Rana, a cardiologist at Holston Valley, has successfully performed this procedure on more than 10 patients, with additional cases already planned.
“Patients are truly benefitting from this procedure,” said Dr. Rana. “Previously, treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation were extremely limited. Surgery is rarely performed due to the complexity and high risks involved, while medical therapy alone has not been effective in reducing TR. With the introduction of TriClip, we now have a minimally invasive solution that provides real relief and a significantly improved quality of life for our patients.”

Tricuspid valve regurgitation (TR) occurs when the valve between the heart’s right atrium and right ventricle doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow backward. This can lead to symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue and may progress to serious conditions such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure or even death if left untreated. According to Abbott, more than 1.6 million people in the U.S. are affected by tricuspid regurgitation, but only 0.6% receive treatment.

“This is an exciting time for cardiac care in our region as Ballad Health’s investment in advanced cardiovascular care has positioned Holston Valley Medical Center as a leader in innovative heart procedures,” said Loveland Hobson, vice president for cardiovascular services at Ballad Health.

“The capability, capacity and technology to perform groundbreaking procedures like TriClip are now uniquely available at Holston Valley, thanks to the expertise of our physicians and the continued support from Ballad Health. This innovation underscores our commitment to providing our patients with the most advanced treatment options available.”

In addition to repairing the tricuspid valve, Holston Valley will soon be offering patients another new minimally invasive procedure to completely replace the valve.

Holston Valley has long been recognized for its excellence in cardiovascular care. The hospital was recently ranked among the top 100 hospitals in the nation for medical excellence in interventional carotid care, according to Quantros CareChex Awards for 2024. Named a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital by IBM Watson Health, Holston Valley was also the first hospital in Tennessee to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery for patients who are unable to undergo open-heart surgery.

“At Ballad Health, we are dedicated to leading the way in medical innovation and providing world-class care to our communities,” said Rebecca Beck, CEO of Holston Valley and Indian Path Community Hospital.

“Being the first hospital in this region to offer TriClip is a testament to our commitment to medical excellence. Holston Valley’s national recognition for cardiovascular care, combined with our ability to deliver leading-edge procedures, ensures that patients in our region receive the best possible treatment close to home.”

In May 2024, Holston Valley became the first hospital in East Tennessee, and among fewer than 150 facilities nationwide, to successfully perform cardiac ablation procedures using the innovative FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System to treat atrial fibrillation.