Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy and summarize the initial experience of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) for treating Chinese patients with severe mitral regurgitation.
Methods: In May 2012, TMVR using MitraClip system was applied in 3 patients with severe mitral regurgitation. One patient suffered from with mitral valve prolapse and two with functional mitral regurgitation. The efficacy and complications of the procedure were analyzed.
Results: TMVR procedure was successful in all 3 cases. NYHA classification improved by 1 grade in 2 patients and 2 grades in one patient. The mean operation time was (105 ± 38) minutes and X-ray exposure time was (10 ± 4) minutes. Mean aortic pressure was increased from (62 ± 18) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) to (75 ± 14) mm Hg, and mean left atrial pressure was significantly reduced from (15 ± 10) mm Hg to (9 ± 5) mm Hg immediately after the deployment of MitraClip. Three days after the procedure, left ventricular diastolic dimension decreased from (63 ± 11) mm to (59 ± 10) mm, left atrial dimension declined from (59 ± 11) mm to (51 ± 8) mm, and NT-ProBNP was reduced from (4292 ± 1137) mmol/L to (1187 ± 489) mmol/L. No complications occurred in all three cases.
Conclusions: Our initial experience showed that TMVR using MitraClip system is safe and effective for patients with severe mitral regurgitation. However, the long term benefit of the procedure should be validated through follow up.