For years, the tricuspid valve was known in medical circles as the forgotten valve. Tucked away on the right side of the heart, its failure to close properly allows blood to flow backward, a mechanical error that slowly floods the liver and limbs with fluid, leaving the patient exhausted and breathless. For the two women in Oran, aged 72 and 73, the traditional remedy—cracking the chest for open-heart surgery—was a risk their bodies could no longer carry.
Professor Laaradj and her colleague Dr. Aoumer, supported by the expertise of Dr. Marco Di Marco, chose a different path. Instead of the scalpel, they used the TriClip, a small device made of cobalt-chromium and wrapped in soft polyester. Navigating through the patient's vasculature, the team steered the catheter into the right atrium, where it had to perform a precise 180-degree turn to align itself with the leaking leaflets of the valve.
The device functions like a simple clasp, pulling the edges of the valve together to seal the leak. As the clips were set in place, the turbulent flow of blood quieted. This transition from a life of restricted movement to one of regained breath happened without a single major incision. For CHU Dr. Ben Zerdjeb, the success of these first two operations represents a transformation in local capability.
By bringing this technology to Algeria, Laaradj has moved the hospital toward becoming a center of excellence for the region. The polyester fabric of the clips will eventually be covered by the patient's own tissue, becoming a permanent part of the heart’s anatomy. What remains for the two women is the simple, profound return of the ability to walk across a room without pausing for air.