MitraClip therapy is the world’s first transcatheter mitral valve repair that is minimally invasive and has been used in over 50,000 patients worldwide.
MitraClip is a well-established heart disease therapy, and Heart South Cardiologists support this technological breakthrough for some high-risk patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) or leaky mitral valve. The MitraClip procedure is performed through a small incision in the groin wherein a tube is passed up through the leg vein to the right side of the heart. The tube is then passed into the left side of the heart using a technique known as trans-septal puncture as seen below. This is a very specialized technique and gives us access to the mitral valve. The MitraClip procedure is less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery and patients usually leave the hospital within 1 to 2 days. MitraClip procedure is reserved for patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) or leaky mitral valve determined to be at high risk for traditional open-heart surgery. Therefore, each patient is evaluated by our Structural Heart Team to determine the best therapy and procedures, ensuring the clinical benefits greatly outweigh any possible risks.
