‘Mitraclip’ Saves Octogenarian With Severe Mitral Valve Leakage

Transcathter mitral valve repair, also known as Mitraclip, is a boon for patients who are considered inoperable.

The heart has four valves or flaps, namely aortic valve, mitral valve, pulmonary valve and tricuspid valve, which keep blood moving in the right direction. The mitral valve lies between the upper left heart chamber (left atrium) and the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle). A leaky mitral valve allows some blood to flow backward into the left atrium. In severe cases, a leaky heart valve can cause serious complications such as blood clots, heart failure, and heart arrhythmias. Hence, either repair or replacement of the leaky valve is required. Traditionally, open-heart surgery is recommended to repair or replace the damaged valve. Now, patients are no longer required to go through this painful procedure, thanks to Mitraclip, a non-surgical way to fix leaky mitral valve.

In a remarkable medical breakthrough, doctors at Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Faridabad successfully performed transcathter mitral valve repair (Mitraclip) on an 80-year-old woman with severe Mitral valve leakage.

The patient was discharged merely two days after the procedure and her recovery has been very encouraging, said the doctors.

Causes and symptoms of Mitral valve leakage

According to Dr. Amit Chaudhary, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at Asian Hospital, common causes of mitral valve leakage in the Indian subcontinent are:

• Rheumatic heart disease
• Degenerative as in old age (like in our patient)
• Coronary artery disease

Uncommon cause include connective tissue disorders.

"If not treated in time it can lead to blood pressure changes in lungs and right sided heart and on whole heart. This can lead to progressive deterioration in cardiac function and ultimately heart failure," Dr. Chaudhary added.

The elderly woman complained of severe breathlessness, due to which she was unable to lie straight on a bed. She had been experiencing this symptom for the past two to three months. Following echocardiography, the doctors found a significant leakage in the mitral valve.

Talking about the causes of mitral valve leakage, Dr. Chaudhary informed that the woman had a history of coronary artery bypass surgery, a troublesome lumbar disc prolapse that severely limited her mobility, and had also undergone carotid angioplasty a decade ago.

Traditional surgical options were deemed unsuitable, given the patient's age, frail condition, and multiple comorbidities. Hence, they recommended a non-surgical solution, which is the Transcathter mitral valve repair, also known as Mitraclip.

Transcathter mitral valve repair

This innovative technique is a boon for patients who are not candidates for traditional surgery or considered inoperable.

Despite the challenging nature of the case, the medical team at Asian Hospital led by Dr. Subrat Akhoury and Dr. Amit Chaudhary successfully completed the procedure, leaving the patient with remarkable results.

Following the Mitraclip procedure, the elderly woman experienced significant improvement. She is now able to resume her daily activities and no longer experience breathlessness.