Branislav Líška, Jozef Pacák, Ján Postulka, Viliam Fridrich, Pavol Chňupa, Eva Goncalvesová, Ingrid Olejárová
The MitraClip system implantation is one of the contemporary interventional cardiology treatments aimed at treating mitral regurgitation. It is performed by a transvenous approach through the right femoral vein in the right groin area. Subsequently, a transseptal puncture of the interatrial septum is performed and, under the control of a three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography, a clip is implanted into the regurgitant orifice, thereby reducing or eliminating the severity of mitral regurgitation. Patients with both primary and secondary etiology of mitral regurgitation are suitable for MitraClip therapy, however, specific morphological criteria that are assessed by 3D-transesophageal echocardiography apply to both types of impairment. MitraClip is an effective invasive therapeutic modality that has been implemented in more than 70,000 patients worldwide. Other types of mitral valve catheterization procedures are undergoing clinical testing and are a promising direction in the development of interventional cardiology.