MitraClip for the treatment of mitral regurgitation

Percutaneous mitral valve repair (MVR) using the MitraClip system is a novel and promising technique for the treatment of mitral regurgitation (MR) which involves mechanical edge-to-edge coaptation of the mitral leaflets and has been employed in over 5,000 patients worldwide.Its feasibility and high procedural success rates have been established in several small single-or multi-centric registries and one randomised controlled trial, and cardiovascular outcomes in highrisk surgical patients appear to be superior to historical controls.Overall, the procedure has proven to be safe with exceedingly low rates of fatal or life-threatening complications.Additionally, significant improvements in functional capacity and quality of life have been reported following MitraClip implantation.However, apart from these encouraging results, open questions remain to be addressed, particularly about longterm durability and clinical efficacy, and the selection of the most appropriate candidates for MitraClip implantation.As the experience with this procedure continues to expand, larger studies are expected that will help to further define the role of the MitraClip procedure among established therapies.