Structural Heart Program Expands with the Newest FDA-Approved Therapies at OU Health

OU Health, the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, has expanded its structural heart program to offer the newest FDA-approved therapies for heart valve disease, giving Oklahomans access to both minimally invasive repair and replacement options without leaving the state.

Severe tricuspid regurgitation, a condition in which the tricuspid valve leaks on the right side of the heart and allows blood to flow backward through the valve, can cause fatigue, fluid buildup, repeated hospitalizations and progressive heart failure.

More than 1.6 million people in the U.S. are affected by tricuspid regurgitation, and many do not receive treatment.

Advanced Options for a Previously Untreatable Condition

• Abbott TriClip™ is a small device delivered through a vein in the leg. It clips together swithout the need for open-heart surgery. FDA-approved April 2024.
• Evoque™ is a replacement valve placed through a catheter. The device anchors to the patient’s native valve, and new leaflets open and close to mimic a healthy valve. FDA-approved February 2024.

OU Health has a consistent history of offering advanced structural heart treatments to patients early. The system is among the first in the region to offer Abbott TriClip™ tricuspid valve repair and Evoque™ transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement.

OU Health also performed the first Abbott Navitor™ transcatheter aortic valve replacement in Oklahoma City in January 2026. The Navitor system is used to replace a narrowed aortic valve in people with severe aortic stenosis through a minimally invasive procedure. FDA-approved in January 2023.

“For years, the tricuspid valve was called the forgotten valve, and patients with severe leak were often told to live with it,” said OU Health interventional cardiologist Dr. Parasuram Melarcode Krishnamoorthy, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, who leads the structural heart program. “That has changed. We can now repair this valve, and we can replace it, all through a small incision in the leg. Oklahomans should not have to leave the state to receive that kind of care.”

Why Early Intervention Matters

When the lower right chamber of the heart weakens from the extra work of pumping leaked blood, it stretches and enlarges. The valve leaflets pull apart and can no longer form a seal. Patients face shortness of breath, swelling in the legs and abdomen, and progressive heart failure.

Dr. Krishnamoorthy said early referrals are critical because the window for treatment can close.

“If patients are referred too late, the valve can stretch beyond what we can repair or replace,” Krishnamoorthy said. “We want primary care providers and cardiologists across Oklahoma to know that this is a treatable condition, and we are ready to help.”

Coordinated, Multidisciplinary Care

OU Health’s structural heart program brings together a multidisciplinary team that meets weekly to evaluate each patient. The team includes interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, heart failure physicians and imaging specialists, who collaboratively determine whether a repair or replacement offers the best outcome.

As Oklahoma’s academic health system, OU Health integrates clinical care, research and medical education under one roof, giving patients access to a full spectrum of specialists. This coordinated model allows care teams to consider a range of treatment options and tailor care to each patient when appropriate. Many of these procedures are minimally invasive, meaning they can be performed without open-heart surgery. For most patients, recovery is relatively short, with many able to return home within a few days of their procedure.

Patients and referring providers can learn more about corrective procedures available through OU Health Interventional & Structural Cardiology in Oklahoma City and Edmond.