Posted on 01/20/2023 3:53:18 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Leakage of the mitral valve due to degenerative prolapse is a common condition known as primary mitral regurgitation (MR). While the treatment has traditionally been surgical repair, recently some success has been achieved with transcatheter edge-to-edge repair using a clip-like device delivered percutaneously without surgery.
The FDA has approved transcatheter therapy for patients deemed too risky for surgery, but current clinical trials are exploring its use in lower risk patients. Similarly, surgical valve repair has evolved with more precise techniques and less invasive approaches.
Leading cardiology and cardiothoracic surgical researchers analyzed recent national data to assess the outcomes and risk of mitral valve repair for primary MR.
The authors found that there was an increasing frequency of operations done in a minimally invasive fashion, including robotically, and that the rate of successful repair has now reached over 90% in the United States.
Most importantly, the researchers found that risk of mortality, or dying, after this surgery was extremely rare across nearly all age ranges.
"The mortality risk model had excellent discrimination and calibration and confirmed very low mortality risk for isolated mitral valve repair," said Robert Habib, Ph.D., lead statistician for the effort. "For the vast majority of patients, the risk of death related to this procedure was less than 1%."
"Past perceptions of the risk of surgery and repair rates based on older risk models may have influenced the design of two clinical trials to explore transcatheter therapy in lower risk older individuals. The finding of 90% successful surgical repair with less than 1% mortality now achieved in the United States sets the outcome bar fairly high when considering alternative therapies to surgery. We hope this information will help make more informed decisions regarding treatment, as well as to inform the optimal design of future trials in the field."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I had this procedure done about 2 years ago and it’s given me a new lease on life. I had severe mitral regurgitation, reducing blood circulation which in turn caused, edema, water in the lungs, difficulty in breathing and no energy.
The change it has made is truly amazing.
They put in two clips, and it was just an overnight stay. Amazingly they were able to that by just going through a vein.
Truly grateful to be living in this era of great medical technology and skillful physicians. Thanks to them, I’m back to feeling pretty normal.
Glad to hear of your experience. About 10 years ago my cousin (then a reaonably fit 58) had the surgery. Long recovery. She had hemolytic anemia.. the blood cells were banging against the replacement valve and breaking up. After a while...a year at least, a coating developed, and she improved. But, the operation and recovery were difficult.
“Long recovery. She had hemolytic anemia.. the blood cells were banging against the replacement valve and breaking up.”
I did not have valve replacement surgery. It’s a much simpler procedure. They just attach a couple clips on the flaps of the existing valve to keep it from being open all the time and significantly reduce the valve leakage. It’s very simple and ingenious.
My recovery period was nonexistent and I immediately started feeling better.
Glad your cousin is starting to do better.
Never trust anything that is labeled “safe and effective’.
She should have gotten a tissue valve instead of a mechanical
Valve and probably wouldn’t have had that problem. They make tissue valves out of porcine(pig) valves, bovine(cow) valves and human doner valves. Also, with tissue valves you don’t have to take blood thinners.
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