Posted on 03/08/2023 9:20:35 AM PST by ConservativeMind
The largest study to examine outcomes for patients treated with a minimally invasive procedure to repair a poorly functioning mitral valve in the heart found that the procedure was safe and resulted in a successful repair for nearly 9 out of 10 patients, researchers reported. Patients whose procedure was successful were half as likely to die within one year.
"Our analysis showed that in an older patient population with limited therapeutic options, transcatheter-based mitral valve repair was safe and was effective in reducing valve leakage from severe to moderate or less in almost 90% of patients," said Raj R. Makkar, MD.
Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is a minimally invasive procedure in which a catheter (a long flexible tube) is used to place a tiny clip in the mitral valve to help it close properly and prevent blood from leaking back into the left atrium.
According to a risk-calculation tool developed by the STS, the patients' median risk of dying within 30 days of surgery was 4.6%.
Results of the analysis showed that MR success was achieved in 88.9% of patients and MR of mild or less severity without severe stenosis in 64.2%. Among patients whose procedure was successful, 14% died, compared with 26.7% of those whose procedure was unsuccessful, a 51% reduction in the risk of death. Among those whose procedure was successful, the death rate was lower for those with residual MR of mild or less severity (12.3%) than for those with residual MR of moderate severity (18%).
"We found that over the eight-year period, the procedural success rate increased from 81.5% in 2014 to 92.2% in 2022," Makkar said. "Optimal success—a reduction in residual mitral leakage to mild or less—was attained in 64% of patients overall, but that increased from 44.6% in 2014 to 71.7% in 2022."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“shown to be safe and effective”
that sounds familar . . .?
Advice - RUN away as fast as you can.
This procedure was suggested for me. I wouldn’t have it. I barely made it through open heart surgery, fortunately my surgeon is one of the best.
I had this procedure done about two years ago and it’s given me a second lease on life. I had no energy, lots of trouble breathing (and sleeping as a result), swelling and water accumulation. Climbing a flight of stairs was like Mt Everest - felt like I wasn’t going to hang around much longer.
I had a couple clips put in my mitral, two days in the hospital and I started feeling better almost immediately. Quite non-invasive
Miraculously, now I’m pretty much back to normal - I even split a half cord of wood last week! I’m extremely grateful to my doctors and modern medicine.
I highly recommend the procedure to anyone with a leaky mitral and regurgitation.
For my mitral valve repair, my surgeon wanted to do open heart. By doing so, he found another problem that would have been missed by doing a minimally invasive procedure. Now, thank God, I’m living a perfectly normal life.
Been told since I was 30 or so that I had a mitral valve prolapse. Doc was concerned, but in the “we have to keep an eye on that” way.
For years I had to put it down on health forms. Dentists were always interested. There were a couple of times I couldn’t participate in an activity because of it.
A few years back I was having some problems with veins in my legs. Part of the prep before scheduling the surgery was a full cardio workup. I told the doc about my mitral valve prolapse. They did a full sonogram and ECG and stress test. The doc was impressed. He said I had the heart of an 18 year old.
“What about the mitral valve prolapse?” I asked.
“You don’t have a mitral valve prolapse.”
Can such a thing just go away on it’s own?
Or maybe it was misdiagnosed
We have better technology (which you listed) these days. In the past a lot of these were diagnosed by the sound of your heart
In 1986 when my mom was 78 she was diagnosed and had a pig valve replacement for her defective mitral valve. She was told the valve would be good for about 10 years. When she was 89 she began having troubles and I brought her to live with me. She had congestive heart failure and she was too frail for another open heart surgery. I had cared for her a week after she came home feom a rehabilitation nursing facility ten years earlier. Her scar ran from under her throat to just above her belly button. I cared for until she died after 6 months in 1995.
With this new much less invasive surgery I wonder if that could have been used for either her original valve replacement,or possible repair? Secondly I wonder if she could have been treated at 89 when the pig valve began to fail?
It would seem this approach is for people who can’t handle major surgery.
I’m sorry to hear about your mom.
These techniques are not universally applicable. I’m sure there are cases where minimally invasive techniques work wonders. There are also cases where they won’t work.
It is truly amazing what they can do!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.