Cookeville Regional Medical Center’s Cardiac Care team has successfully completed its first tricuspid valve repair, marking a new milestone for advanced heart care in the Upper Cumberland.
The procedure expands the hospital’s structural heart program and enables patients to receive specialized cardiac care locally rather than travel to larger cities. Physician Assistant and Structural Heart Coordinator Karli Qualls said completing the first tricuspid valve repair represents a significant step forward for the medical center’s cardiac program.
“It’s a very big milestone for CRMC,” Qualls said. “We have been doing structural procedures since 2017, kind of giving patients the option for treatment here in their hometown.”
Qualls said the hospital spent months preparing for the procedure, including staff training and a thorough screening process for potential patients.
“The procedure went very well,” Qualls said, “We’ve had lots of patients that we considered for treatment for this, so there was a pretty lengthy screening process for us, a lot of education and things the physicians had to go through to be prepared.”
Qualls explained that tricuspid valve disease has traditionally had limited treatment options and that the repair uses technology designed to clip leaking portions of the valve so they function properly again.
“There are four valves in the heart, and your tricuspid valve is a valve that works on the right side of the heart,”
According to Qualls, adding this procedure helps keep advanced care accessible for patients who may not have the resources to travel long distances for treatment. She said patients who previously had to travel for the procedure have already expressed excitement that it is now available locally.
“It also provides a service to this Upper Cumberland region for patients that do not have the means to travel to those facilities,” Qualls said. “That was our only option in the past.”
Qualls said the procedure was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, though clinical trials had been underway for several years before approval.
Qualls said the milestone reflects continued growth at CRMC while maintaining a patient-focused approach to care.
“It means that we are continuing to focus on patient care and trying to deliver that small town approach to medicine,” Qualls said.
Patients who believe they may be candidates for a tricuspid valve repair are encouraged to contact CRMC or Tennessee Heart for evaluation and more information.