Mitral Valve Regurgitation Treatments

Our approach to mitral valve repair

At the UCI Health Cardiology Services program, we treat you with compassion, expertise and leading-edge procedures. We offer less invasive techniques where possible that reduce your risk of infection and get you home sooner.

A leaking mitral heart valve, a debilitating condition known as degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (DMR), is progressive. If left untreated, it can lead to heart failure and loss of life. 

However, a minor surgical procedure lets us bring the two flaps of your mitral valve together so there’s less leaking. It’s called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair. We also refer to it as a catheter-based treatment for mitral valve regurgitation.

How we approach this procedure

At UCI Health, we are at the forefront of DMR treatment. Our interventional cardiologists are committed to providing you with the latest devices and technologies. The minimally invasive procedures we offer lower the risk of complications from major surgery and speed up your recovery.

How to work with us

Go to the emergency room or see your doctor if you’re experiencing symptoms like: 

• Fluttering in the chest 
• Heart palpitations 
• Marked shortness of breath 
• Unexplained fatigue 
• Leg and ankle swelling

Your doctor will refer you to a cardiologist. In our UCI Health Cardiology Services department, we regularly perform mitral valve repair procedures.

In the earlier stages of DMR, you may not experience any symptoms. It could be that a standard test during a regular check up reveals a mitral valve issue. If you have a family history of heart disease, we encourage you to get regular check ups with a cardiologist.

What is the best treatment for mitral valve regurgitation?

If your leaky valve condition is very severe, we might recommend open heart mitral valve repair. The alternative to open heart surgery is transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting a clip or device that helps your mitral valve close properly. 

For a TEER procedure, we can choose from two devices depending on your heart’s anatomy and other factors. The MitraClip is a leading-edge device that’s the size of a dime. Another similar device called PASCAL (Precision Transcatheter Valve Repair System) has a slightly different, larger design but performs the same function. 

MitraClip and PASCAL both treat the same symptoms. The PASCAL’s clasps operate independently while the MitraClip actively locks its clips. Both devices perform well. 

These catheter-based treatments also benefit certain patients with congestive heart failure.

What is a catheter-based procedure for mitral valve regurgitation?

In this straightforward procedure, we attach either the MitraClip or the PASCAL clip to fix your leaky mitral valve. 

Our doctors don’t make any chest incisions and don’t need to use a heart-lung bypass machine for this procedure. We will place you under general anesthesia beforehand to keep you comfortable. Your doctor will insert a tube called a catheter into a large leg or groin vein. 

Using guides, they’ll then insert the MitraClip or PASCAL into your heart, fastening it to the flaps of the mitral valve. An imaging specialist will use an echocardiogram to monitor the process live. This ensures the clip gets securely fastened to your mitral valve’s leaflets, or flaps.

We can reposition the clip during the procedure to make sure it’s effective. The MitraClip procedure can take about 45 minutes and the PASCAL procedure may take from two to three hours. Your surgery length may vary based on your needs.

Who is a good candidate for a catheter-based procedure?

• You’ve been diagnosed with severe DMR 
• You’re a high-surgical-risk patient because of frailty or age
• You have severe congestive heart failure that’s causing mechanical damage to your mitral valve, resulting in DMR

Are MitraClip or PASCAL implants permanent?

Yes, they are both permanent implants.

Can these devices fall off?

While it can happen due to complex anatomy or complications during the procedure, it’s rare for either to fail. 

Do you need blood thinner after mitral valve regurgitation treatment?

Your case is unique so you’ll need to discuss blood thinners with your doctor. We may prescribe a blood thinner for you to take after your procedure. It reduces the chance of your body forming blood clots.

Benefits of using catheter-based treatments

• The devices will correct the direction of your heart’s blood flow, providing immediate relief and improving your quality of life
• We perform the procedure on your beating heart so we’re able to see the results right away
• Because it is minimally invasive, it reduces the chance of infection or other complications from major surgery
• It could reduce the number of times you’ll need to stay in the hospital in the future

What to expect after the procedure

You will stay overnight and typically go home on day two, the day after the implant. Before we discharge you, we will check the results of the surgery with an echocardiogram. 

What happens after my device is attached?

We’ll have you come into the UCI Health valve clinic for basic follow up one week after the procedure.

You can usually return to normal activity levels within four to six weeks.

Why choose UCI Health for mitral valve regurgitation treatments?

A powerful team approach

At UCI Health, our doctors work collaboratively to get you to the right expert at the right time. Interventional cardiologists, the heart failure services team, imaging specialists and cardiac surgeons work as a seamless team to make sure your procedure is top-level.

Our interventional cardiologists have decades of experience doing this procedure

Our doctors are board-certified professionals and treat a continuous flow of patients. That high volume of experience is invaluable because over time, it creates a nuanced understanding of the condition and its proper treatment. 

Comprehensive heart care

UCI Health Cardiology Services is home to one of California's leading heart health programs. We specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of all conditions of the heart and vascular system. 

In addition, we have a rare Women’s Heart Services program as well as lifestyle-focused Heart Health Coaching treatments.