MitraClip™ Implant: What you need to know

MitraClip™ Implant Questions and Answers

1. What is mitral valve regurgitation?

a. This occurs when the mitral valve flap in your heart does not work correctly, allowing blood to leak backwards into the heart.

2. Are there symptoms?

a. You may be symptom free, or suffer from one or more of the following including a mild cough, lightheadedness, fatigue, shortness of breath that increases with activity and lying down or rapid heartbeat.

3. Is mitral valve regurgitation dangerous?

a. There are two main forms of mitral regurgitation, classified based on the underlying cause:

1. Primary (Degenerative) Mitral Regurgitation

   -This form is caused by structural abnormalities of the mitral valve itself, such as damage to the valve leaflets, chordae tendineae, or annulus.

   -Common causes include mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease, or infective endocarditis.

   -It is often referred to as degenerative mitral regurgitation

2. Secondary (Functional) Mitral Regurgitation

   -In this type, the mitral valve is structurally normal, but problems with the left ventricle or atrium—such as dilation or dysfunction—prevent the valve from closing properly.

4. Who are candidates for MitraClip?

a. MitraClip can help, if you have degenerative mitral regurgitation and are considered high risk for surgery. MitraClip is a solution for functional mitral disease if treatments did not help.

5. What happens during the procedure?

a. The MitraClip implant is a one time, minimally invasive procedure. The implant is inserted through a vein in your upper leg and guided to your heart, where it is attached to your mitral valve.

General anesthesia is used so you will be asleep during the procedure.

6. How does MitraClip help?

a. After the MitraClip is attached to the malfunctioning mitral valve in your heart, it will help the valve to close properly and restore normal blood flow through the heart.

7. What happens after the procedure?

a. You will stay in the hospital for one to three days. After the implant, you will take a blood thinner and aspirin. A checkup will occur in 30 days and at one year.

8. Who is on the procedure team?

a. A trained and experienced team of physicians make up the MitraClip team. The team includes Kinan Kassar, M.D., Interventional Cardiologist, and Mahmoud Farhoud, M.D. Each of these physicians are part of the Genesis Heart & Vascular Group.