Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR)

If you have mitral valve regurgitation, your doctor may recommend TMVR at the Adventist HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute at White Oak Medical Center. This minimally invasive treatment requires only a short recovery period and can help you enjoy a more energetic life.

Do I Need TMVR?

Your doctor may recommend TMVR if the flaps of your mitral valve don’t fully close, letting blood leak backward through your heart. TMVR implants an artificial valve over the valve you were born with. The new valve’s flaps close tightly when they should, keeping blood flowing in the right direction.

TMVR doesn’t require a large incision in your chest, unlike surgical valve replacement. That means less pain and fewer side effects. You may qualify for TMVR even if you’re not a candidate for surgery.

TMVR is also an alternative to MitraClip, which repairs your mitral valve rather than replacing it.

How Can Treatment Help Me?

Compared to medications for mitral regurgitation, TMVR may offer more relief from symptoms such as:

• Chest pain
• Fainting or lightheadedness
• Fatigue
• Heart murmur
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath

What to Expect

You’ll lie on a table while an interventional cardiologist makes a tiny incision over an artery in your upper thigh or wrist. The doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube called a catheter that carries a new valve up to your heart. The physician places the valve and then withdraws the catheter from your artery. The new valve’s leaflets fully open and close, letting blood flow as it should.

TMVR usually takes less than two hours.

Recovery & Rehabilitation

You’ll stay in the hospital for two or three days while your doctor and nurses monitor your health to make sure you heal well. When you’re ready to leave, you’ll receive instructions on self-care, as well as a referral for home health services, if necessary. Your cardiologist may recommend cardiac rehabilitation to help you safely regain strength and endurance. You’ll also make a follow-up appointment with your doctor.