Percutaneous Treatment of Mitral Regurgitation: The MitraClip Experience.

The MitraClip device is a percutaneous catheter-delivered, implantable clip that reduces mitral regurgitation by approximating the edges of the mitral leaflets, creating an "edge-to-edge" repair. The MitraClip is the first percutaneous technology developed to provide a minimally invasive option for patients at high risk for traditional mitral valve surgery. Although percutaneous repair was less effective at reducing mitral regurgitation than conventional surgery in the EVEREST randomized trial, the procedure was associated with superior safety and similar improvements in clinical outcomes. Older, high-risk or inoperable patients with functional or degenerative mitral regurgitation seem to benefit most from this therapy.