First M-TEER in Bali offers heart valve treatment without surgery

Sapporo Cardio Vascular Clinic (SCVC Bali) has successfully performed the first Mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (M-TEER) in Bali, a treatment for patients with mitral valve leakage using a minimally invasive approach without open-heart surgery.

SCVC Bali cardiac intervention consultant I Dewa Gde Dwi Sumajaya said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday that M-TEER is a minimally invasive procedure to repair mitral valve leakage using a catheter inserted through a blood vessel, generally through the groin area towards the heart.

In this case, the patient was a 68-year-old man with severe mitral regurgitation due to a degenerative process. The patient had experienced symptoms of heart failure, including swelling in the legs. After considering the patient’s condition and the risks of open surgery, the medical team chose M-TEER as a minimally invasive approach suited to the patient’s clinical condition.

The M-TEER procedure was performed in less than two hours. Using transoesophageal echocardiography, doctors were guided in real time to determine the position of the device, ensure the valve clipping was carried out precisely, and evaluate directly whether the leakage had been reduced optimally. The recovery process was also faster.

“Collaboration with the international team gave us the opportunity to combine experience and expertise in handling complex cases, while strengthening knowledge transfer to the medical team in Indonesia,” said Suma.

Suma noted that public awareness of heart valve disease remains a concern. Mitral valve leakage can develop slowly and its symptoms are often considered part of the ageing process or ordinary fatigue.

In fact, complaints such as easy fatigue, shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance or swelling in the legs can be signs that the heart is experiencing a disorder requiring further examination.