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The cardiology team at WHS Washington Hospital announced they are now offering a breakthrough minimally invasive cardiovascular treatment option for patients with a severe leak in the mitral valve called MitraClip™ therapy. These are patients that may not be eligible for traditional open-heart surgery or select heart patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). 

MitraClip^™, developed by Abbott, has now treated over 100,000 patients worldwide. WHS Washington Hospital successfully performed the minimally invasive procedure for the first time in early July 2022 and the patient is doing great. 

“We are excited to offer a minimally invasive mitral valve repair for our patients in Washington County. Patients have a quick recovery time, and typically only have a 1 day stay in the hospital,” said Dr. Rekhi Varghese,  board-certified Cardiovascular Surgeon with Washington Health System. 

The condition, called mitral regurgitation (MR), is one of the most common heart valve diseases.

A leak in the mitral valve occurs when the leaflets, or flaps, of the mitral valve do not close completely, allowing blood to flow back into the heart as it pumps. As a result, the heart must work harder to keep blood flowing which can raise the risk for life-threatening stroke and heart failure. When MR becomes severe, it can profoundly affect a person’s quality-of-life by causing shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and other debilitating symptoms. If left untreated, MR can ultimately lead to heart failure and death.

The MitraClip device is delivered to the heart through a small incision in the leg and clips portions of the leaflets of the mitral valve together to reduce the backflow of blood, restoring the heart’s ability to pump oxygenated blood more efficiently. Patients tend to have a short hospital stay – on average, two days – and experience improved heart function and symptoms almost immediately. MitraClip is now on a fourth generation of innovations and offers new advancements and additional options for doctors treating mitral valve disease. The therapy has now treated over 100,000 patients worldwide.

More information about MitraClip is available online at www.mitraclip.com. 

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