Edge-to-Edge Mitral Valve Repair With Extended Clip Arms: Early Experience From a Multicenter Observational Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the technical success and efficacy of mitral valve edge-to-edge repair using extended clip arms.

A new iteration of the MitraClip system, the MitraClip XTR, was introduced in 2018 with the aim of addressing technical limitations observed with previous versions.

Patients having received at least 1 new implant for the treatment of symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) were eligible for this study.

Among the 107 patients (mean age 76 ± 9 years, 69% men) included in this study, the etiology of MR was balanced, with one-half (n = 53 [50%]) classified as secondary and the remaining 54 patients having either primary (n = 40 [37%]) or mixed (n = 14 [13%]) disease. The mean number of devices implanted was 1.5 ± 0.6. Multiple device implantation was required in 46 patients (43%). Single-leaflet device attachment occurred in 4 patients and leaflet injury in 2 additional patients, requiring surgical conversion in 4 patients. Among the 102 patients discharged alive without mitral valve surgery, 95 (93%) had MR ≤2+ and 79 (77%) had MR ≤1+. The mean transmitral gradient increased from 1.9 ± 1.0 mm Hg at baseline to 3.5 ± 1.8 mm Hg at discharge (p < 0.001).

Technical success with the new mitral valve repair system with extended clip arm was achieved in 93% of the patients. MR ≤2+ was obtained in 95 patients (93%) and MR ≤1+ in 79 (77%). The main reasons for procedural failure were acute single-leaflet device attachment associated with leaflet damage or isolated leaflet injury and often required surgical correction.