Thousand Oaks ― The Cardiovascular Institute at Los Robles Health System, in Thousand Oaks, California, can now correct leaky heart valves using a next generation, minimally invasive mitral valve repair device.
Today, the structural heart team treated two patients with severe mitral regurgitation due to degenerative disease of the valve leaflets using the 4th generation MitraClip™ Device. This new MitraClip G4 device was recently approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and these patients are the first in the world to be treated. Based on new clinical trial data, the FDA has recently expanded the indication for MitraClip therapy for the treatment of patients with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation. The procedure was performed successfully in the Cardiac Catheterization Hybrid Operating Room at Los Robles Hospital. Team members included Dr. Vishva Dev, Dr. Gregory Fontana, Dr. Andrew Ghobriel and Dr. Saibal Kar, who has recently moved to this community.
"The fourth generation MitraClip device, with four different sizes and additional features, makes it very versatile and allows easy and effective treatment of a wide range of mitral valve pathologies," said Professor Saibal Kar, a lead investigator of the clinical trials which led to the approval of this therapy in the U.S.
The fourth generation MitraClip device, by Abbott, delivers an expanded range of clip sizes and a controlled leaflet grasping feature. The newest generation also provides the benefit of an upgraded catheter to allow integrated real-time continuous left atrial pressure monitoring during implant. This helps determine proper placement to optimize patient outcomes.
"It's an exciting day for Los Robles," said Natalie Mussi, CEO of Los Robles Health System. "We are proud to continue to offer the latest technology to the communities we serve."