Strategies For Treating Tricuspid Atresia

Atrial Septostomy

An infant born with tricuspid atresia may have a tricuspid valve that is nonexistent or completely sealed and too small of a patent foramen ovale or hole between the right and left atrium. An atrial septostomy is used to expand this hole to allow a better flow of blood from the right atrium to the left atrium. This objective is often accomplished using a catheter and a balloon in a Rashkind balloon atrial septostomy. During this procedure, a balloon on the end of a catheter is passed into the patient's body through a large vein and maneuvered to the right atrium of the heart. From the right atrium, the catheter is threaded into the left atrium through the small patent foramen ovale. Once in the left atrium, the balloon is inflated. The balloon and catheter are pulled back sharply into the right atrium from the left atrium causing the patent foramen ovale to become larger. The catheter and balloon are then removed to allow for better blood flow from the right to the left atrium.

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Specific Medication

Specific medication may be administered intravenously to an affected infant to help treat their tricuspid atresia heart defect. In healthy babies, the ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that makes a connection between the main pulmonary artery or artery leading from the heart to the lungs to the descending aorta. This blood vessel allows the blood in the right ventricle to skip a trip through the fluid-filled lungs while the baby is still in utero. This connection normally closes a short time after the baby is born. However, infants born with tricuspid atresia may need that blood vessel to stay open because it can help reduce the implications of their heart defect. A medication called prostaglandin E1 or PGE1 can be used to open the ductus arteriosus and keep it that way temporarily until a stent can be implanted to replace the connection. Other specific medication may be given in combination with other treatment methods to help the infant's lung and heart function more effectively.

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