The MitraClip® procedure, offered by Abbott Vascular, is a minimally invasive procedure to treat mitral regurgitation. It is for patients who are suffering from symptoms of valve-related congestive heart failure but aren’t responding to medication treatment and aren’t suitable candidates for surgery.
Valve insufficiency, or a leaky valve, causes a condition known as regurgitation. When this happens, blood that is supposed to be pumped out of the heart backflows, or leaks, back into the chamber. Patients can feel weak, light headed, short of breath, and experience chest pain. The MitraClip® closes the center of the mitral valve, allowing blood to flow to either side of the clip and decreasing leakage.
CMC is the first hospital in southern New Hampshire to offer this therapy, and one of the first in New England to implant the third generation MitraClip XTR. The procedure is performed through a catheter so it’s less invasive and has a much shorter recovery period than open heart surgery.