Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement (TPVR)

Minimally Invasive Treatment for Pulmonary Valve Stenosis

If you were born with pulmonary valve disease, we understand how stressful it can be to manage symptoms in adulthood. You may also be concerned about the prospect of more surgeries. 

At UMass Memorial Health, we can offer an alternative treatment that improves your quality of life without the risks and lengthy recovery of a major operation. Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) is a minimally invasive procedure to replace a failing pulmonary valve. 

What Is Pulmonary Valve Disease? 

Your pulmonary valve allows blood to leave your heart and flow to your lungs. When the valve doesn’t work correctly, your lungs don’t receive enough blood. The condition strains your heart and prevents your body from getting the oxygen-rich blood it needs. 

Types of pulmonary valve disease include: 

• Pulmonary stenosis, a stiff and narrow valve that restricts blood flow to your lungs
• Pulmonary regurgitation, a leaky valve that lets blood flow backward into your heart

People with pulmonary valve disease often have chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue and other symptoms that prevent them from enjoying an active life. It can also lead to heart failure and arrhythmia and put you at risk for sudden cardiac death. 

Who Needs TPVR? 

If you had surgery to replace or repair your pulmonary valve in childhood, you may benefit from transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement. Congenital heart diseases that affect the valve include: 

• Double outlet right ventricle
• Pulmonary atresia
• Tetralogy of Fallot
• Transposition of the great arteries
• Truncus arteriosus
• Ventricular septal defect

What to Expect During TPVR 

An interventional cardiologist performs TPVR in our state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab. The procedure takes one to two hours. 

During the procedure, your doctor: 

• Makes a small cut in your upper leg
• Inserts a catheter (thin tube) into a blood vessel
• Uses real-time imaging guidance to thread the catheter to your heart
• Slides the folded replacement valve through the catheter
• Uses a balloon to expand the new valve inside your existing valve
• Ensures the valve is positioned correctly before removing the catheter and closing the incision  

Benefits of TPVR

TPVR benefits include: 

• Delays or reduces the number of surgeries needed
• Eases symptoms
• Less invasive than open surgery
• Lowers your risk of sudden cardiac death
• Quicker recovery than open surgery