Heart valve problems can be treated without surgery

Heart valve problems can now be treated without surgery, according to Prof. Dr. dr. Yoga Yuniadi, a consultant interventional cardiologist and arrhythmia specialist. “Previously, if there was a problem with a heart valve—too tight, difficult to open, or particularly leaky—the solution for severe cases was surgery,” he said at an event at Primaya Hospital Kelapa Gading in Jakarta on Saturday. However, he noted that a non-surgical option using the MitraClip is now available. “MitraClip is the name of the device; it is a breakthrough in heart valve repair,” said the professor of cardiology and arrhythmia at the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Medicine. He explained that the heart has four valves, including the tricuspid valve between the right atrium and right ventricle, and the mitral valve between the left atrium and left ventricle. There are also the aortic valve between the left ventricle and the aorta, and the pulmonary valve between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. According to Prof. Yoga, the mitral valve is the most frequently affected by disorders. In a state of regurgitation or leakage, the mitral valve cannot close perfectly, so when the heart contracts and pumps blood, some of it flows back into the left atrium. “Mitral valve leakage means the valve leaks, so blood returns to the left atrium,” Prof. Yoga said. “Symptoms can include shortness of breath, easy fatigue, and swollen feet. In this patient, because it has been going on for a long time, the left ventricle has enlarged and its pumping ability has become very weak.” The device is called MitraClip because it addresses problems with the mitral valve. According to him, the procedure can be performed on patients with degenerative or secondary mitral valve leakage, for instance, when the mitral valve cannot close perfectly due to swelling. “Also in frail conditions, for example, when a patient is technically operable but too old or too ill, making the risk high, then MitraClip becomes the choice,” he said. Prof. Yoga explained that the MitraClip can be inserted through a blood vessel in the groin area. From that point, the device is guided through the inferior vena cava, then into the right atrium, the left atrium, and finally to the mitral valve that requires repair. He added that the MitraClip is made of synthetic material, contains no animal elements, and is compatible with the body. “This MitraClip is a breakthrough for heart valve repair, and it is minimally invasive,” he said. He added that patients undergoing the MitraClip procedure experience a short hospital stay and a quick recovery.