For 93-year-old Evelyn, living with mitral valve regurgitation (MR), a heart condition affecting about four million Americans, made everyday activities challenging. Because of MR, she found it difficult to go about her normal life--taking care of her home, tending to her garden and spending time with friends--because a valve in her heart was not functioning like it should.

Over time, her condition worsened. "One day I woke up and I could barely walk, breathe or eat," recalls Evelyn.

Understanding MR

In patients like Evelyn who have MR, the mitral valve doesn't close properly. This causes blood to flow backward (regurgitate), leaving the left ventricle--the heart's main pumping chamber--overworked, and eventually it becomes enlarged, distorted and weakened. Consequently, the lungs fill with fluid, causing patients to be short of breath, weak and uncomfortable. Many patients develop congestive heart failure.

According to Chad Rammohan, MD, cardiologist and medical director of the Chest Pain Center at El Camino Hospital, in some cases, physicians can treat MR with medications to help the heart pump more effectively and to rid the lungs of excess fluid.

Over time though, additional treatment often becomes necessary. In the past, the only surgical option for MR was conventional open-heart surgery to repair or replace the valve, either one of which is a major procedure. Surgeons must cut the sternum, stop the heart and put the patient on a heart-lung machine (cardiopulmonary bypass). "The patient typically stays in the hospital five to seven days, and will take one to three months to recover," explains Rammohan.

A New Approach: MitraClip

Fortunately for patients, in the past decade, surgeons have begun testing alternative approaches to valve repair. "Over the last few years there's been a lot of excitement over minimally invasive treatments for valvular heart disease," says Rammohan.

In clinical trials, a new investigational device (not yet FDA-approved) developed by physicians at El Camino Hospital has shown promise. Known as the MitraClip system, this device is being used to repair leaky valves through minimally invasive surgery.

How MitraClip Works

While the patient is under general anesthesia, the surgeon inserts a catheter (a very thin tube) through a small incision in the leg and guides the catheter through the femoral vein all the way up to the heart. A smaller catheter holding a tiny clip is then slipped through the first catheter. After the clip is attached to the valve's leaflets, the catheters are removed.

Because the MitraClip procedure does not require a chest incision or the use of a heart-lung machine, patients are able to avoid the complications and much longer recovery time associated with conventional open-heart surgery. The patient stays just one to two days at the hospital, and then returns home.

Early Results

"Although this is still an experimental procedure, we've had some exciting results so far," says Rammohan, with patients showing an improvement in symptoms after the surgery.
For Evelyn, who had the procedure earlier this year, life has returned to normal. "Vacuuming and mopping the floor don't bother me now," she says, and she is back to working in her garden just as before. "I'm so happy I lived long enough to have this done."
To learn more about MitraClip, watch this informational video, or see Evelyn's story here.