Transcatheter mitral valve replacement

Your mitral valve operates in the left chamber of the heart between the left atrium and the left ventricle. When it’s working properly, the two flaps (leaflets) of the mitral valve open and close tightly, directing the oxygenated blood to the left ventricle.

When the mitral valve is working properly, the flaps of the valve open to release blood and then close tightly to prevent blood from leaking back into the heart.

If your cardiologist has diagnosed a problem with leakage in the mitral valve on the left side of your heart, you may need a mitral valve replacement or repair.

Mitral valve problems can cause shortness of breath, swelling feet or symptoms of congestive heart failure, such as retaining water and unusual weight gain.

To repair the mitral valve, HonorHealth cardiologists can perform a less invasive procedure. It can be used on patients of any age, including people in their 80s and 90s. During the transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) procedure, your heart specialist makes an incision in the leg and threads the catheter to the heart. Once in the heart, a tiny device clips the leaflets back together. That stops the leakage, enabling the heart to perform properly again.

In addition to your cardiologist, a team of experts participates in your transcatheter mitral valve replacement. Through clinical trials that started in 2014, HonorHealth’s heart specialists have been performing this procedure with excellent outcomes for their patients. Because it’s a less invasive procedure, the required hospital stay is just two to three days.