Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TEER)

Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair, usually shortened to TEER, treats a leaking mitral valve without opening the chest. The mitral valve sits between the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart, and when its two leaflets no longer close properly, blood flows backwards into the lung circulation with every beat, causing breathlessness, fatigue and, over time, heart failure. In TEER, a thin catheter is guided from a vein in the groin into the heart, and one or more small clips are attached to the leaflets so that they are held together at the point of the leak. The valve then closes more completely with each beat, and the leak is substantially reduced. Patients are usually awake within hours and home within a few days.