MitraClip Therapy: A minimally invasive treatment for mitral regurgitation

If you develop mitral regurgitation — a weakening of the heart’s mitral valve — you may need mitral valve surgery. UW Health offers MitraClip therapy, a minimally invasive procedure to treat severe mitral valve regurgitation.

MitraClip therapy is a type of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR). During TMVR, a catheter tube is inserted in a large vein in your leg and guided to your heart. Once in place, your doctor guides a clip — the MitraClip — through the tube to your mitral valve. 

The MitraClip is implanted onto the center of your mitral valve, creating a tighter closure of the valve during the heart’s contraction.

During your procedure 

MitraClip procedures are typically performed in the hospital’s catheterization lab. The catheterization lab is a room with special heart imaging equipment.

You will be asleep during your MitraClip procedure, which can take up to four hours to complete. 

After your procedure 

The MitraClip procedure requires a short hospital stay, usually overnight, however, a longer stay may be required. You may need to remain in the hospital for up to five days after your procedure. Your doctor will perform tests on your heart and may prescribe blood-thinning medications. 

When you leave the hospital, it’s important to limit physical activity and follow any additional instructions from your doctor.

Your MitraClip procedure will be done by an interventional cardiologist. Other UW Health providers may also care for you before and after your procedure. Our specialists in heart valve disorders include cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, advanced practice providers, imaging specialists and radiologists.

UW Health’s heart team performs MitraClip therapy at University Hospital in Madison. We offer consultations and follow-up appointments at cardiovascular medicine outreach clinics across Wisconsin or with your primary care provider.