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Department of Medicine

Mitral Valve Disease

Mitral Regurgitation

Mitral regurgitation occurs when there is a backflow of blood between two of your heart chambers. This blood “leaks” from the left ventricle back into the left atrium. This causes extra work for the heart and lungs.

MitraClip

MitraClip Size
Image by Abbott ™ Chicago, IL
Anatomy MitraClip
Image by Abbott ™ Chicago, IL

At UNC, we offer a less invasive procedure that decreases the backflow of blood and repairs the mitral valve.

The MitraClip procedure is used for patients that are high risk or not candidates for open-heart surgery. We can now use this therapy to treat both degenerative (primary) and functional (secondary) mitral regurgitation. The size of a mitraclip is comparable to the size of a dime. We insert the clip with catheters through the vessel in your groin up to the heart and place the clip on the leaflets of your mitral valve to reduce the leak.

PASCAL Transcatheter Repair System

PASCAL Precision System
Image by Edwards Lifesciences ™ LLC, Irvine, CA

We also offer the PASCAL Precision System, another minimally invasive procedure to reduce mitral regurgitation. This system consists of a device with two broad paddles that is designed to reduce leaflet stress and create a space between the leaflets, allowing them to close properly. The device is inserted with catheters through the vessel in your groin up to the heart.

When surgery is needed for your mitral valve, you want an expert team that offers the highest likelihood of mitral valve repair to restore the natural function of your own mitral valve. Our cardiac surgeons provide the highest level of care with outstanding results at mitral valve repair.