Professor Yu Feicheng (right) performs surgery on a patient. [Photo/Hangzhou Daily]

A team led by Professor Fu Guosheng at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has completed China's first clinical procedures using Abbott's TriClip TEER G4 transcatheter tricuspid valve repair system.

The minimally invasive technology offers a new treatment option for patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation, a condition in which the heart's tricuspid valve fails to close properly, allowing blood to flow backward. An estimated 8 million to 10 million people in China have the condition, with prevalence increasing with age.

The patient was a 76-year-old man who had previously undergone mechanical aortic valve replacement and mitral valve repair. His complex cardiac anatomy and reduced function of both ventricles made treatment particularly challenging.

The medical team used the TriClip G4 system to repair the valve through a catheter-based procedure. The procedure was successful, and the patient recovered well, with significant improvements in cardiac function and overall condition.

The TriClip G4 system is designed specifically for tricuspid valve repair and has received regulatory approval in the United States, the European Union, and China. The minimally invasive approach may benefit older patients and those at high risk from conventional open-heart surgery.