MitraClip

Is MitraClip right for me?

Your doctor may recommend MitraClip for a leaky heart valve if you:

• Don’t get enough symptom relief from medications
• Don’t qualify for surgery because of your overall health, age or other factors

How does the procedure work?

You’ll receive treatment from an interventional cardiologist, a doctor specializing in less invasive heart care. While you lie on a table, the cardiologist inserts a soft tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in your upper thigh. The tube carries the dime-sized MitraClip up to your heart. The doctor places it in your mitral valve, where it holds the flaps closed.

Recovery and Results

MitraClip treatment doesn’t involve an incision in your chest. So, you’ll recover much quicker than you would after heart surgery. Many people feel better soon after the procedure. If you have heart failure, it can prevent readmissions to the hospital and help improve your long-term health.

Other Minimally Invasive Valve Treatments

Heart valve specialists at OSF HealthCare offer several minimally invasive treatments for valve conditions, including:

• Balloon valvuloplasty to improve valve function
• TriClip for tricuspid valve regurgitation
• Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for aortic valve disease

Your care team will help determine the treatment options that are right for you.