MitraClip Therapy at Temecula Valley Hospital

The heart has four chambers and four valves: Two upper chambers are the left atrium and right atrium and two lower chambers are the left ventricle and right ventricle. Oxygen-rich blood enters each chamber of the heart via the valve, like a gateway between chambers.

Valves open to let blood pass and close quickly and automatically so blood doesn’t flow backward between heartbeats. The mitral valve is the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle of your heart. With a normally functioning valve, blood flows in a single direction between the left atrium and left ventricle. When a mitral valve’s flaps don't close properly, blood can flow back into the heart chamber.

To fix this common heart problem, cardiologists at Temecula Valley Hospital’s Structural Heart Program may implant a small MitraClip™ to the heart valve to help restore normal blood flow.

MitraClip valve repair for mitral regurgitation (MR) 

Called mitral regurgitation (or MR) or “leaky valve disease” the left ventricle pumps much, much harder to sustain proper blood flow. This ongoing, extreme demand on the heart can lead to several complications like heart failure or stroke.

In some cases, people with a leaky mitral valve may never experience symptoms of heart failure. But over time, heart failure can worsen when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. The American Heart Association urges people to be on the lookout for signs of heart failure:

  • Heart palpitations
  • Coughing and wheezing
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Extreme fatigue

Surgical options to repair leaky valves 

Mitral regurgitation itself can be treated with mitral valve surgery or transcatheter mitral valve repair. Cardiologists and other medical providers at Temecula Valley Hospital in Temecula, CA, will help patients determine the correct surgical option: repair vs. replacement. Some heart patients who have severe MR may not be good candidates for open-heart surgery. Instead, the MitraClip heart valve procedure may be the safest option. 

The procedure is less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery because the MitraClip repair procedure does not require opening the chest. Instead, doctors access the mitral valve with a thin tube (a catheter) that’s guided through a vein in your thigh to reach the heart. The device is a coin-sized clip that’s surgically attached to the mitral valve. It allows the valve to close more completely, helping restore normal blood flow. 

After the inpatient procedure, many patients are released from the hospital within 2-3 days and feel relief from MR symptoms quite soon after the procedure.

Find a doctor

For a free physician referral, call 800-879-1020 or search for a cardiologist online.

Individual results may vary. There are risks associated with any surgical procedure. Talk with your doctor about these risks to find out if minimally invasive surgery is right for you.