IJN introduces new treatment for leaking mitral valve

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The National Heart Institute (IJN) on Wednesday introduced the new "mitral clip" treatment for patients with a leaking mitral valve.
IJN chief executive officer Tan Sri Dr Rabaayah Zambahari said the method involved the use of a special 2mm clip, which will be inserted into the heart through the leg vein.
A catheter will be used to guide and deploy the clip into the heart which requires at least three specialist doctors to manoeuvre it, she told a media briefing on the new method at IJN here.
"Once the position is confirmed, the clip will be released from the cable and it would narrow the size of the mitral valve opening and, therefore, correcting the leakage," she said.
Dr Rabaayah said mitral valve leak forces the heart to work harder than normal and if left untreated, could result in heart failure. She said seven patients had gone through the new procedure and the recovery process was speedy, between two to four days, compared to surgery which required seven days.
"The new method provides an option for patients who do not want to undergo an open heart surgery. The new method is safe," she said, adding that the treatment would cost at least RM150,000 per patient.