MitraClip Therapy

In 2018, the cardiology team at St. Mary Medical Center became one of the first health systems in the region to offer MitraClip therapy—a minimally invasive treatment option for people with a severe leak in the mitral valve who are considered too high-risk for traditional open-heart surgery.

What is mitral valve regurgitation?

The most common heart valve disease, mitral regurgitation, is usually treated with open-heart valve replacement surgery. However, some patients are not healthy enough to tolerate surgery. The mitral valve on the left side of the heart has two flaps that open and close to allow blood to flow. Leaks occur when these flaps do not close completely, so the heart has to work harder to keep blood flowing, which raises the risk for life-threatening stroke and heart failure. Severe mitral valve regurgitation can profoundly affect a person’s quality of life by causing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and other debilitating symptoms.

How does the MitraClip procedure work?

The small MitraClip device is guided into place with a catheter and then attached to the flaps of the mitral valve to help it close more completely, restoring normal blood flow. Patients tend to have a short hospital stay and experience improved heart function and symptoms almost immediately.

To learn more about advanced cardiovascular care at St. Mary, call 215.710.6026.

Indication for Use: The MitraClip® NT Clip Delivery System is indicated for the percutaneous reduction of significant symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR≥3+) due to primary abnormality of the mitral apparatus degenerative MR in patients who have been determined to be at prohibitive risk for mitral valve surgery.

Additional information about MitraClip® NT, including Important Safety Information, is available online at: www.abbottvascular.com.