Heart valves may be repaired with expert surgery. New methods such as minimally invasive surgery and robotic assisted valve repair may be suitable and are available at the St Vincent’s Hospital.

Where open heart surgery is not possible a new technique of valve replacement may sometimes be used called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). This involves a small incision in at the top of the leg and a wire is passed painlessly into the heart. A new valve is placed in the aorta to replace the old aortic valve. The procedure can take as little as two hours to perform and no chest incisions or cardiac bypass is usually required. Two different valve types are available with this approach, the Edwards and Core Valve.

The mitral valve leakage may also be fixed using minimally invasive approach using a mitral valve clip device “mitra-clip”. This device is about the size of a large staple, is attached to your mitral valve via a vein in your leg. The clip stays there permanently and helps your valve to function properly again. Newer and experimental therapies allow some mitral valves to be replaced via catheter in certain situations.

For more information about this procedure please click on the St Vincent’s Hospital heart health link below
https://www.svhhearthealth.com.au/procedures/procedures-treatments/mitral-valve-clip