Kuala Lumpur, 11 August 2023 - Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL) has recently performed its first MitraClip™ procedure, making them the one of the first private hospitals in Malaysia to offer this advanced treatment for mitral valve regurgitation.

“With MitraClip, in certain cases, we have the option to treat mitral valve regurgitation without open-heart surgery,” says Dr Al Fazir, consultant cardiologist at CVSKL.

The heart is a one-way pump that supplies blood to the entire body. It is made of four chambers and four valves and each valve has flaps (leaflets or cusps). Imagine the valves like a one-way swinging door that ensures blood flow in a single direction. It “swings” open to allow blood to flow to the next chamber/structure when the heart contracts and seals shut to stop the blood from leaking backwards.

One of the valves is called the mitral valve. In certain conditions, the flaps of the valve fail to seal completely or the valve’s size and shape have altered, causing the blood to leak backward. This leakage is called mitral valve regurgitation or mitral valve insufficiency. Left untreated, severe mitral valve regurgitation can cause heart failure and arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm).

Because there is no chest incision, the MitraClip™ procedure offers an alternative over the conventional mitral valve surgery, making it an ideal treatment option for older, high-risk patients and those with underlying health conditions.

Led by consultant cardiologist, Dr. Al Fazir Omar, alongside consultant cardiologists Dr. Choo Gim Hooi and Datuk Dr. David Chew Soon Ping, the CVSKL team successfully performed the procedure, which lasted approximately four hours. Dr. Al Fazir expressed his elation regarding this significant milestone. He commented, "The MitraClip procedure offers a faster recovery time. The patient was discharged two days after the procedure. It is truly changing the treatment landscape for mitral valve regurgitation.”

Dr Choo added, “This achievement wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the exceptional teamwork and collaboration between our skilled cardiologists and the dedicated surgical team.” Dr. David also shared, “Advanced interventions like MitraClip require a dedicated heart team; I’d also like to thank our radiographers and nurses who are working hard alongside us in the cathlab.”

CVSKL's achievement in performing its first successful MitraClip™ procedure marks a major leap forward in their institution in the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation. Their Structural Heart Program is further reinforced by this achievement with the addition of MitraClip™ under their belt, living up to their ethos of elevating CVSKL as a Centre of Excellence for all cardiovascular matters.

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