Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (via MitraClip®) or Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR)

Treatment for your mitral regurgitation depends on how severe it is and how sick you are. There are medications available to reduce symptoms, such as fluid buildup in the lungs, but no medications address the underlying problem with your mitral valve.

Mitral regurgitation itself can only be treated in two ways: mitral valve surgery or transcatheter mitral valve repair. You will be evaluated by a team at Bryan Heart to determine which option is right for you.

Learn more about Mitral Valve Repair and Mitral Valve Replacement by watching the following video.

Mitral Valve Surgery

There are two types of surgery to treat degenerative mitral regurgitation: mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement. Repair of the natural valve is preferred over replacement. If the valve cannot be repaired, it is replaced with an artificial valve. While open-heart surgery is an effective treatment for mitral regurgitation, your doctor may suggest an alternative treatment due to your age, advanced heart failure, or other serious medical conditions.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair

Transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) is a minimally invasive procedure that may be an option for patients who are too sick for surgery. Unlike surgery, this procedure does not require opening the chest and temporarily stopping the heart. In this procedure a clip will be implanted onto the center of your mitral valve. This reduces mitral regurgitation, and the valve continues to open and close on either side of the clip, allowing blood to flow through.