Transcatheter mitral chordal replacement system successful in 1st human patient
The first patient to be treated with a novel mitral valve repair system is recovering and showed no complications during a 30-day follow-up period, according to a press release issued by CoreMedic, the developer of the ChordArt system.
ChordArt is designed to treat degenerative mitral regurgitation through transfemoral access, a less invasive alternative to surgery. An implant is used to replace the ruptured or elongated chord-like structures connecting the valve leaflets to the papillary muscle, restoring proper function.
“Using the ChordArt reduced the invasiveness and duration of the procedure by repairing the valve in a fast, precise and safe way,” said Alberto Weber, MD, who proctored the procedure. “This allowed the heart team to focus on the procedure and timing rather than manually placing the artificial chords to resolve the mitral insufficiency.”
Mitral valve insufficiency affects more than 7 million patients worldwide, according to the press release, and 250,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.
CoreMedic has received approval to test its system in up to 40 patients at up to six European centers.
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.