Unfortunately, though there are many medications available to treat other heart conditions, there is no definite drug therapy to cure mitral regurgitation that is due to degenerative cause; If mitral regurgitation is secondary to left ventricular dilatation( functional), optimization of heart failure drugs remains the key

For  MR , your doctor may  For severe MR , your doctor may prescribe medicines  to make you feel better in the short term, but ultimately you may require intervention for persistent symptoms refractory to drugs.

Surgical Mitral valve replacement/ Mitral Valve repair

Surgical Mitral valve replacement/Repair  has been the standard of treatment  for severe MR for many years. The procedure may be performed through  an open surgery or a minimally invasive approach done using a smaller cut. The patient’s breathing and circulation are transferred to a heart-lung machine during the surgery.

Once the site is accessed, the surgeon will remove the diseased valve and implant an artificial valve. There are many valves available on the market. These artificial valves are man-made from synthetic materials (mechanical), constructed from animal tissue (biological), or some combination of the two. You may be in the hospital for more than a week.

Transcatheter Mitraclip

Transcatheter Mitraclip procedure is  relatively new procedure that   repairs valve in much the same way that  cardiac stents  are implanted. This  procedure  does not  require  stopping  the heart or opening the  chest  cavity. The material used in this procedure is called a Mitraclip. They are made up Nitinol alloy. In this procedure, we go through a small hole in your right thigh. Your right femoral vein that carries impure blood to the heart from the leg will be accessed. In order to access the mitral valve which is left sided heart valve, a small hole is safely made inside the heart guided by X ray and echocardiogram of heart. Through this hole, the mitraclip delivery cable is taken inside and the clips are used to narrow down the mitral valve so as to decrease the regurgitation

Heart Team Approach

A group of doctors called the “Heart Team” is involved in making a determination if you are a candidate for a Mitraclip procedure. This includes interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, echocardiographers, heart failure specialists, anesthesiologists, and valve clinic coordinators.

Candidates for the Mitraclip Procedure

A series of tests and consultations will be done to see if you can have this procedure. Patients can be admitted to the hospital for the tests or patients can schedule the tests as an outpatient. If the tests show this procedure is right for you, you will return at a later date for the Mitraclip procedure.

 

Workup tests include:

Transthoracic Echocardiogram – an ultrasound of your heart chambers and

Trans-esophageal echocardiogram– A small probe will be placed through your food pipe and an ultrasound of your heart chambers will be performed; It helps us to identify whether your valve anatomy is suitable for clipping; If so, how many clips will be required during the procedure.

Right and Left Heart Catheterization – a check of the blood flow in your arteries around the heart and the blood pressures in your heart

Consultation with an Interventional Cardiologist and a Cardiac Surgeon – You will meet with an interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon. They will explain more about the Mitraclip procedure and review your treatment options. The test results will be reviewed by the Heart Team to determine if you are a candidate. You will then be contacted with the results