Recently, the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Affiliated Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, together with the Ultrasound Diagnosis Department and the Anesthesiology Department, successfully performed a ValveClamp® minimally invasive mitral valve repair surgery (TEER) through the cardiac apex for a 73-year-old patient with severe mitral regurgitation. This surgery was among the first to be implanted in Chongqing and the first in the district or county, marking the hospital's entry into a domestic leading level in the field of minimally invasive treatment for structural heart diseases. It provides safer and more efficient treatment options for patients with severe mitral valve insufficiency.
The patient suffered from severe blood backflow due to the rupture of the mitral chordae tendineae, accompanied by long-term symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. Traditional open-chest surgery posed extremely high risks. The thoracic and cardiovascular surgery team at Yongchuan Hospital Affiliated accurately located the problem using 3D ultrasound and successfully repaired the diseased valve by implanting two "valve clips" through a small incision in the cardiac apex. The entire surgery was minimally invasive, avoiding the need for an open chest procedure. Postoperatively, the patient’s backflow almost disappeared, with significant recovery effects.
Compared to traditional surgical methods, this surgery has advantages such as being minimally invasive and highly efficient, precise and safe, and widely applicable, especially suitable for elderly, high-risk patients and those who cannot tolerate traditional surgery. The successful implementation of this technology demonstrates the comprehensive strength of the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery department at hospital in the field of minimally invasive interventions. Currently, the hospital routinely and independently conducts surgical treatments for cardiac and vascular diseases, having introduced over 20 new technologies. It can provide individualized and precise diagnostic and therapeutic systems for patients with cardiac and vascular diseases, bringing new hope for treatment to more patients with structural heart diseases.
(Translated by AI)
