Also called: Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair
MitraClip transcatheter mitral valve repair is used for the treatment of severe mitral valve regurgitation in patients who are high-risk for open-heart surgery. Mitral valve regurgitation happens when blood flows backward through the mitral valve in your heart because it doesn’t close tightly.
The procedure is completed under general anesthesia. The mitral valve is accessed by placing a catheter in a vein in the patient’s leg. The valve is then repaired using a small implanted clip that pinches the two leaflets of the mitral valve together. This lowers the amount of blood that flows back through the valve. When the backflow of blood is decreased, symptoms are improved. It also leads to lower mortality and fewer hospitalizations for heart failure. Patients are usually sent home after one to three days in the hospital for recovery and observation.
To determine if a MitraClip procedure is appropriate, patients at UAMS Health are evaluated by a team that includes their interventional cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon and heart failure cardiologist. Evaluation for MitraClip also includes a coronary angiogram within 1-2 years and a trans-esophageal echo (TEE).
