BLUHM CARDIOVASCULAR INSTITUTE

Transcatheter Heart Valve Therapies for the Mitral Valve

As one of the highest volume and most experienced transcatheter mitral valve programs in the nation, Northwestern Medicine continues to expand its Transcatheter Heart Valve Program by offering a wide array of commercially available and clinical trial options to treat the mitral valve, including MitraClip.

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Transcatheter Mitral Heart Valve Therapies: MitraClip, Now Helping More Patients 

The Northwestern Medicine Transcatheter Heart Valve Program offers a wide variety of commercially available (FDA approved) and clinical trial options for the mitral valve, allowing us to tailor treatment precisely to each patient’s individual needs. For some patients with mitral valve disease, transcatheter heart valve therapies, like MitraClip, are an alternative treatment to open heart valve surgery. 

In 2013, the U.S. FDA approved MitraClip for patients with degenerative or primary mitral regurgitation caused by disease of the mitral valve. In 2019, results from the COAPT™ clinical trial results1 showed that treatment with MitraClip leads to a reduction in hospitalizations and death compared to medical therapy alone. 

As a result of these findings, the FDA approved MitraClip for patients with functional or secondary mitral regurgitation caused by diminished heart function. This approval has significantly expanded the number of people who can be treated with MitraClip.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a leader in transcatheter mitral valve therapy options and has achieved the highest transcatheter mitral valve volume in Illinois for five consecutive years.2 In addition, Northwestern Memorial Hospital has achieved 100% in-hospital survival for transcatheter mitral valve treatment.3

1. Health Status After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair in Patients with Heart Failure and Secondary Mitral Regurgitation: COAPT Trial. JACC, 2019. 
2. COMPdata, Illinois Health and Hospital Association, 2018-2022.
3. NCDR STS/ACC TVT Registry, Jan2022-Dec2022.


Transcatheter Mitral Valve Clinical Trial Options 

Researchers at Northwestern Medicine conduct clinical trials that provide access to innovative therapies for the treatment of heart and vascular disease. Participating in a clinical trial is an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or study devices. The study devices and delivery systems used in the following clinical trials are investigational (experimental), which means they are not approved for commercial use by the U.S. FDA.

MitraClip in place clipping together a portion of the mitral valve

Mitral valve in valve replacement

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Northwestern Medicine is also among the most experienced programs in the country for transcatheter treatment options for the aortic valve and tricuspid valve. 

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Commercially Available Treatment Options

Transcatheter procedures allow the procedure to be performed while the patient’s heart is still beating, eliminating the need for a “heart bypass” machine and its associated risks. Due to the minimally invasive nature of transcatheter procedures, patients tend to recover faster and experience an improvement in symptoms soon after the procedure is completed. The Northwestern Medicine Transcatheter Heart Valve Program offers two mitral valve transcatheter treatment options: MitraClip and transcatheter mitral valve in valve replacement.

PASCAL CLASP IIF: enrolling patients to evaluate the Edwards PASCAL Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair System (PASCAL System) (study device) in symptomatic patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) that are on optimal medical therapy. Eligible participants will be randomized to have the PASCAL System and the other group will receive the FDA-approved MitraClip System. The PASCAL System and the MitraClip System are designed to reduce the amount of mitral regurgitation without the need for surgery (less invasive).

MitraClip: A minimally invasive treatment option for patients with mitral regurgitation. In patients with mitral regurgitation, the mitral valve does not close completely, allowing blood to flow backward or “leak,” creating symptoms that may include shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. MitraClip is the only device currently approved by the FDA for transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). 

During MitraClip implantation, an interventional cardiologist inserts a catheter (tube) in the body through the femoral (groin) vein. The MitraClip device is compressed and advanced by a catheter through the vein until it reaches the diseased mitral valve. Once in the heart, the MitraClip device is positioned to join or “clip” together a portion of the mitral valve, reducing or eliminating the backward flow of blood. 

Transcatheter Mitral Valve in Valve Replacement: A minimally invasive TMVR procedure for patients who have had previous open heart valve surgery to replace the mitral valve with a bioprosthetic/tissue valve and the valve is now failing. Instead of the failing mitral valve being replaced during another open heart valve surgery, the failing mitral valve is replaced by placing a TMVR valve inside the failing mitral valve. 

During mitral valve in valve replacement, an interventional cardiologist and/or a cardiac surgeon inserts a catheter (tube) through a vein in the body. The TMVR valve is compressed and advanced by a catheter through a vein until it reaches the failing mitral valve. A balloon on the catheter expands and secures the TMVR valve within the failing mitral valve. The catheter is then removed and the secured TMVR valve remains in place pushing the failing mitral tissue valve out of the way, allowing the TMVR valve to take over the job of regulating blood flow from the heart. 

USNWR Best Hospitals - Heart & Vascular, 2024 - 2025

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is ranked as a top ten program in the nation (No. 7) for cardiology, heart & vascular surgery by U.S. News & World Report, 2024 - 2025. Our impressive U.S. News & World Report achievements are a reflection of the expert care provided and why patients choose to get their heart and vascular seconds opinions from Northwestern Medicine.

  • Highest ranked cardiology, heart & vascular surgery program in Illinois for 17 consecutive years
  • Highest available cardiology, heart & vascular surgery patient survival score since the metric was introduced
  • Rated “High Performing” (the highest rating possible) for abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, heart attack, heart failure and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)

REPAIR-MR: enrolling patients with severe primary MR who are at moderate surgical risk and have been determined to be suitable candidates for MV surgery. Eligible participants will be randomized to receive the MitraClip device, and the other group will receive traditional open heart mitral valve repair surgery. The MitraClip System is designed to reduce the amount of mitral regurgitation without the need for surgery (less invasive).

Central DuPage Hospital 630.232.0280

Northwestern Medicine Transcatheter Mitral Heart Valve Featured Publications:

  1. Gercek M, Narang A, Puthumana JJ, Davidson CJ, Rudolph, V. Secondary Mitral Regurgitation and Heart Failure: Current Advances in Diagnosis and Management. Heart Failure Clin. 2023. doi.org/10.1016/j.hfc.2023.02.010.
  2. Panchal HB, Stone GW, Saxena A, Bursac Z, Veledar E, Nagabandi A, Davidson CJ, Leon MB, Beohar N. In-hospital outcomes after transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in patients with chronic kidney disease: An analysis from the 2010-2016 National inpatient sample. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2021;98(6):1177-1184. doi: 10.1002/ccd.29712.
  3. Lim DS, Smith RL, Zahr F, Dhoble A, Laham R, Lazkani M, Kodali S, Kliger C, Hermiller J, Vora A, Sarembock IJ, Gray W, Kapadia S, Greenbaum A, Rassi A, Lee D, Chhatriwalla A, Shah P, Rodés-Cabau J, Ibrahim H, Satler L, Herrmann HC, Mahoney P, Davidson C, Petrossian G, Guerrero M, Koulogiannis K, Marcoff L, Gillam L. CLASP IID Pivotal Trial Investigators. Early outcomes from the CLASP IID trial roll-in cohort for prohibitive risk patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2021;98(4):E637-E646. doi: 10.1002/ccd.29749.
  4. Desai A, Thomas JD, Bonow RO, Kruse J, Andrei AC, Cox JL, McCarthy PM. Asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation repair: Validating guidelines for early intervention. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2021;161(3):981-994.e5.
  5. Otto CM, Nishimura RA, Bonow RO, Carabello BA, Erwin JP 3rd, Gentile F, Jneid H, Krieger EV, Mack M, McLeod C, O'Gara PT, Rigolin VH, Sundt TM, Thompson A, Toly C. 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;77(4):e25-e197. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.11.018. Erratum in: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;77(4):509. Erratum in: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021;77(9):1275.
  6. Peters AC, Leya M, Baldridge A, Jagadeesan V, Davidson CJ, Flaherty JD, Ricciardi M, McCarthy P, Thomas JD, Puthumana JJ, Narang A. Temporal Trends in Left and Right Heart Remodeling Following Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Mitral Repair for Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation. Structural Heart Journal. 2021;5(6): 634-636. doi: 10.1080/24748706.2021.1988781.
  7. McCarthy PM, Davidson CJ, Kruse J, Lerner DJ, Braid-Forbes MJ, McCrea MM, Elmouelhi AM, Ferguson MA. Prevalence of atrial fibrillation before cardiac surgery and factors associated with concomitant ablation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020;159(6):2245-2253.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.06.062.
  8. McCarthy PM, Kislitsina ON, Malaisrie SC, Davidson CJ. Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement with Intrepid. Interventional Cardiology Clinics. 2019;8(3): 287-294. doi: 10.1016/j.iccl.2019.02.002.
  9. Kislitsina ON, Zareba KM, Bonow RO, Andrei AC, Kruse J, Puthumana J, Akhter N, Malaisrie SC, McCarthy PM, Rigolin VH. Is mitral valve disease treated differently in men and women? Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2019;26(13):1433-1443. doi: 10.1177/2047487319833307.
  10. Mack MJ, Abraham WT, Lindenfeld J, Bolling SF, Feldman TE, Grayburn PA, Kapadia SR, McCarthy PM, Lim DS, Udelson JE, Zile MR, Gammie JS, Gillinov AM, Glower DD, Heimansohn DA, Suri RM, Ellis JT, Shu Y, Kar S, Weissman NJ, Stone GW. Cardiovascular Outcomes Assessment of the MitraClip in Patients with Heart Failure and Secondary Mitral Regurgitation: Design and rationale of the COAPT trial. Am Heart J. 2018;205:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2018.07.021.

*Bolding of author’s name indicates Northwestern Medicine and/or Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty.

Whether you are experiencing symptoms that you do not understand, have already been diagnosed and require a transcatheter mitral valve replacement, or are looking for a second opinion, Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute offers comprehensive expertise to you and your loved ones at multiple convenient locations.

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Meet the Transcatheter Mitral Valve Team

Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute is a nationally recognized destination for those who require highly specialized heart and vascular care.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Northwestern Medicine at Central DuPage Hospital

Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute
at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
675 North St. Clair Street
Galter Pavilion, Suite 19-100
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.NM.HEART (312.664.3278)

Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute
at Central DuPage Hospital
625 North Winfield Road
Winfield, Illinois 60190
630.232.0280

APOLLO: enrolling patients to evaluate the Intrepid Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) System (study device) in people with moderate-to-severe or severe, symptomatic mitral regurgitation who may not be optimally treated with approved transcatheter repair or surgical mitral valve intervention. Eligible participants will receive a TMVR using the Intrepid valve.