Mitral Valve Surgery
Yale New Haven Hospital cardiac surgeons perform among the most mitral valve surgeries in Connecticut and New England, with a strong emphasis on mitral valve repair. Our treatment plan is tailored to a patient’s needs.
YNHH has previously been
recognized by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database with its highest rating of three stars for varied cardiac surgery procedure categories, including mitral valve repair and replacement (MVRR). Our survival statistics for mitral valve replacement, among other cardiac surgery procedures, consistently places us one of the best centers in the nation performing these procedures.
Robotic Mitral Valve Repair
Patients needing mitral valve repair may be candidates for robotic valve repair surgery. YNHH is the only hospital in New England offering robotic-assisted mitral valve repair. The procedure is performed with the da Vinci Xi
® robotic surgical system and requires only five one-inch incisions. Robotic surgery provides the surgeon with great visibility and precision. Patient benefits include smaller incisions, less pain, lower risk of infection and bleeding, no splitting of the breast bone, a shorter hospital stay and quicker recovery. Yale New Haven Hospital cardiac surgeons will determine your eligibility for safe and effective use of the robotic surgical system to repair your defective mitral valve.
Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
For patients who are not candidates for robotic surgery we perform minimally invasive mitral valve surgery through a small incision in the right chest. The breast bone is not split with this procedure. This less-invasive approach offers a quicker return to work and normal activities.
Mitral Valve Surgery with Other Heart Procedures
A more traditional (open) type operation is performed for patients also needing additional heart procedures such as coronary artery bypass or aortic valve replacement.
MitraClip®
Using minimally invasive techniques, the mitral valve can be repaired using MitraClip, a device that improves certain types of mitral valve leakage. This involves small puncture in the groin. The procedure is currently FDA-approved for patients considered too high of a risk for surgical approaches and who have severe mitral regurgitation. Your surgeon and cardiologist will discuss if MitraClip is a treatment option for you.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement
Yale New Haven Hospital is the only hospital in Connecticut offering transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR), as part of the APOLLO clinical trial.
Learn about aortic valve reconstructive surgery.
