Mitral Valve Clip to Reduce Mitral Regurgitation

Transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip® is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure that is performed under general anesthesia in which a clip is placed in the mitral valve to reduce mitral regurgitation (MR) or insufficiency. MR may be caused by a degenerated mitral valve (primary MR) or by a dilated heart muscle that pulls the mitral valve structures apart and leads to regurgitation (secondary MR), or a combination. This disease, when severe, leads to heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and poor quality of life. When advanced, it may lead to death.

Transcatheter mitral valve repair with MitraClip is indicated for patients who carry too high a risk for open heart surgery.

Safety and Benefits of Mitral Valve Clip

• MitraClip is a less invasive procedure compared to open heart surgery and is performed under general anesthesia. MitraClip is indicated for patients who are not good surgical candidates. Your heart team will determine your risk.
• Recovery from MitraClip is faster than from open heart surgery, and patients may go home 24 to 48 hours post-procedure.
• MitraClip improves congestive heart failure symptoms associated with mitral regurgitation, such as shortness of breath, ultimately improving the patient's quality of life.

Our Experts in NonSurgical Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair

UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute offers internationally recognized expertise in performing MitraClip therapy. UH physicians received MitraClip training in high-volume centers in Europe and were involved in initial research on the expansion of indications of this therapy. As pioneers in demonstrating potential further indications for MitraClip, UH physicians participate as the sole U.S. site in continuous research for this novel tool.