Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair and Replacement; an Alternative Therapeutic Option Used To Treat Severe Mitral Regurgitation

Transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement methods can be used as an alternative to open-heart surgery and is used to treat mitral valve prolapse, mitral valve stenosis, and mitral valve regurgitation. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement is a minimally invasive procedure to replace a mitral valve that isn't working properly. A replacement valve is inserted through the catheter and guided to the heart. The mitral valve, or bicuspid valve. It is one of the heart's four valves that help prevent blood from flowing backward as it moves through the heart.

The pressure difference causes the mitral valve to open and close, opens when there is high pressure in the left atrium & closes when there is high pressure in the left ventricle. A narrowed mitral valve interferes with blood flow. As a result, pressure may increase in lungs, leading to fluid buildup. With proper patient selection and timely intervention, the estimated success rate of mitral valve repair surgery is around 95%. Around 95% of patients are free of reoperation for 10 years. At 20 years, around 90% of people do not need reoperation for mitral valve repair.

The demand for transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement has increased, owing to the increasing prevalence of chronic/cardiovascular diseases, especially in the elderly population. For example, in June 2021, Abbott received Breakthrough Device designation form the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its investigational Tendyne transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement system in a subset of patients with severe mitral annular calcification.

Transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement methods are gaining significant traction due to advances in valve therapy. Moreover, transcatheter mitral valve replacement has emerged as an alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of severe mitral regurgitation in patients with prohibitive or high surgical risk. It is a minimally invasive alternative when surgery cannot be performed to relieve mitral regurgitation.