Mitral Valve Clip

A mitral valve clip is a device that supports an improperly functioning mitral valve.

Mitral valve leaflets that do not properly close can allow blood to flow backward in the wrong direction, or “regurgitate” into the upper chamber of the heart called the left atrium. This results _­­in inefficient blood flow and may lead to symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness, swelling, chest pain or even heart failure.

To perform the mitral valve clip procedure, a delivery catheter is inserted over a guide wire through a small incision in the thigh. This catheter travels up a vein, into the right atrium, crosses the atrial septum, and passes into the left atrium of the heart. The clip is opened and the catheter is positioned to where the leak is occurring in the mitral valve. The opened clip is closed to hold the two leaflets together where they are leaking. The mitral clip allows for proper valve closure and reduces blood back-flow.