title: Percutaneous mitral valve repair using the edge-to-edge technique: first Greek experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitral valve (MV) repair is the treatment of choice for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR), but the surgical options for functional MR are limited. Percutaneous edge-to-edge MV repair using the MitraClip system has evolved as a new tool for the treatment of certain anatomical subsets of both functional and degenerative MR. We present the first Greek series of MV repair using the MitraClip.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five symptomatic patients (age 75 ± 9 years, logistic EuroSCORE 29 ± 11%) with moderate-tosevere (n=2) or severe (n=3) MR underwent MV repair using the MitraClip. All patients were treated with one clip and there were no primary adverse events.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute MR reduction by 3 grades was achieved in 2 patients and by 2 grades in 3 patients (reduction 2 grades in 100%). The total procedure time was 2.9 ± 2 hours (median 2 hours), the length of the ICU stay was 1 ± 0 day and the total length of hospital stay was 3.2 ± 0.6 days. All patients reported functional status improvement by 1 month (mean NYHA class improved from 3.0 ± 0.3 to 1.6 ± 0.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our initial experience with percutaneous MV repair using the MitraClip system demonstrated that it can be performed safely, resulting in substantial acute echocardiographic and early clinical improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transcutaneous Heart Valves, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece. kspargias@hygeia.gr
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spargias
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chrissoheris
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halapas
authors.forename: Joulia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsolakis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bouboulis
authors.forename: Stratis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pattakos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D062906:Cardiac Catheters; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D058386:Mitral Valve Annuloplasty / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D061646:Operative Time; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D057240:Patient Preference; D018579:Patient Selection; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D016896:Treatment Outcome