MitraClip: A minimally invasive mitral valve procedure
After a career in telecommunications and a side hustle as a musician, Jack M. settled into retirement, especially enjoying time with his three grandchildren. Then, his health took a turn. His heartbeat was racing, and he was unusually tired and short of breath.
His primary care doctor referred him to Montage Medical Group’s cardiology team, which found he had a severely leaking heart valve — called mitral valve regurgitation — and a significantly weakened heart muscle. His condition ultimately led him to a procedure new to Monterey County: the implantation of a device called MitraClip to clip the leaky valve.
“I think it’s a rampaging success,” Jack says. “These clips were a wonderful invention; as far as I’m concerned, we’re living in the age of medical miracles.”
Two MitraClips were placed during a minimally invasive procedure by Ahmad Edris, MD, who introduced the technology to the region in 2024 and is the director of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula’s Interventional Cardiology and Structural Heart Disease program.
What's mitral valve regurgitation?
Heart-valve issues are common in an aging population and MitraClip can provide another treatment option for issues involving the mitral valve, such as mitral regurgitation.
Four MitraClips next to a dime to show scale.
The valve is between the upper (atrium) and lower (ventricle) sections of the heart’s left side and is made of two flaps of tissue called leaflets that open and close once during each heartbeat, keeping blood flowing in the right direction. If the flaps don’t close tightly, blood flows backward and causes mitral regurgitation, making it harder for the heart to work.
Why MitraClip was the right choice
In some cases, open-heart surgery to replace or repair the valve is the best choice. This time, that wasn’t an option. Jack, who asked to be identified by his first name, had a weakened heart muscle and secondary mitral valve regurgitation, meaning the problem wasn’t the leaflets themselves but an underlying heart issue that stretched the mitral valve and left a gap in the leaflets. This made open-heart surgery too risky.
Jack initially had a pacemaker defibrillator implanted to monitor and reset irregular heartbeats, synchronize his heart’s chambers, and improve cardiac efficiency. He continued to have significant mitral regurgitation, and after being treated and evaluated by a team of heart failure cardiologists, he was determined to be a candidate for MitraClip.
Explore your possibilities and your opportunities and be guided by people who have done these procedures a lot. You can do this in the morning and be sitting on your couch at 10 o’clock that night.
— Jack M., patient
How the MitraClip procedure works
During the procedure in one of Community Hospital’s two hybrid operating rooms, a catheter was inserted through a large vein in Jack’s leg and guided to his heart using X-ray images. Using state-of-the-art heart imaging technology guided by cardiovascular anesthesiologist Lauren Nash Farac, MD, two dime-sized clips were precisely attached to the mitral valve leaflets, leading to significant improvement in Jack’s mitral regurgitation.
A new local option for heart valve treatment
Ten patients received MitraClips at Community Hospital since starting the program in April 2024, and Edris anticipates many more cases given the area’s aging population. Having a team that can provide a broad range of treatments is critical, and that’s what’s been built at Community Hospital’s Tyler Heart Institute, he says.
“This is a collaborative process,” he says, requiring cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, a cardiovascular anesthesiologist, a structural heart program coordinator, and many others.
Before he underwent the procedure, Jack says he researched it and the team and advises others to do the same.
“Explore your possibilities and your opportunities and be guided by people who have done these procedures a lot,” Jack says. If it’s the right choice, he says, “you can do this in the morning and be sitting on your couch at 10 o’clock that night.”
Learn more about heart care
Heart-healthy habits
Good nutrition, exercise, and stress management are powerful protectors when it comes to heart health.
Fill your diet with:
- Anti-inflammatory foods — A heart-healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, healthy fats, and moderate amounts of lean meat
- Whole grains — Whole grains are packed with nutrients and fiber, which are critical to heart health
- Colorful fruits and vegetables — Eating a colorful assortment of fruits and vegetables provides nutrients and antioxidants that are strong supporters of heart health
Add movement to your daily routine by:
- Moving in the morning — Stretch for 5 minutes when you get out of bed, walk or bike to work, or go to the gym
- Taking a walk on your lunch break and after dinner — An after-meal walk can also help boost your metabolism and regulate blood sugar
- Parking farther away — Rather than circling for the closest spot, park at the end of the lot for a few extra steps
Manage stress with breathing techniques like:
Square breathing
- Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
- Hold your inhale for 4 seconds.
- Exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.
- Hold your exhale for 4 seconds.
- Repeat as needed.
Five-finger breathing
Using the index finger of one hand, slowly trace the edge of your other hand and fingers.Take a deep, slow breath as you move up your fingers, and slowly exhale as you move down.
