MitraClip™ Mitral Valve Repair

If you have a leaky valve in your heart – also known as mitral regurgitation — you may be eligible for mitral valve repair with MitraClip™. When medications alone do not improve symptoms such as shortness of breath or leg swelling, MitraClip™ is a minimally-invasive procedure performed in the Cath Lab at The Medical Center at Bowling Green. Currently, MitraClip™ is recommended for people who are too high risk for surgery, have a weak heart, or may be unable to tolerate recovery from open-heart surgery.

Traditionally, repair of a leaky mitral valve is done as open-heart surgery. A cardiothoracic surgeon accesses the heart through the chest at the breastbone. The mitral valve is repaired by tightening and reinforcing the ring around the valve or, in some cases, the valve is replaced. However, MitraClip™ is placed using a minimally-invasive procedure.

To place the MitraClip™, a large catheter is inserted through a vein in the groin. The clip is delivered across the right and left upper chambers of the heart, grasps the valve leaflets, and brings them back together. This decreases the leakage of the mitral valve and improves blood flow through the heart.

Studies have shown that patients who receive MitraClip™ have less time in the operating room, shorter hospital stays, and feel better sooner than with traditional surgery. MitraClip™ is safe and well tolerated, with less than 4% device-related complications at 12 months after placement.