During a percutaneous procedure, a catheter or tube is threaded through the skin in the groin, and into a vein to the left atrium of the heart. Here, just above the valve, a clip is used to close the mitral valve using the edge-to-edge technique. The chest is never opened during this procedure.
A small delivery catheter which holds the clip is threaded through the tube all the way to the left atrium, and placed at the area where the leak originates. Once in position, the clip is then retracted to grasp and close on the valve leaflets. When the clip is closed, it brings the two leaflets together to seal the leak, thereby reducing MR. Unlike most open-heart surgeries, this procedure is performed without the need to stop the heart, and recovery time is only about two days.
