Transcatheter Valve Surgery (TAVI/MitraClip)

Transcatheter valve surgery describes procedures during which heart valves can be replaced or repaired with the help of catheters. These are usually passed through the blood vessels in the groin until they reach the heart. This procedure allows patients to be treated for whom conventional surgery would carry a very high risk. Two of the procedures routinely carried out at the Heart Center in Leipzig are transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and transcatheter mitral valve reconstruction (MitraClip).

A cardiac team comprising a heart surgeon, a cardiologist and an anesthetist works as one to provide diagnosis, treatment and aftercare. They are members of the Leipzig Heart Center's Department of Structural Heart Disease. Treatment is provided in two ultramodern, specially equipped hybrid operating theatres, which are a combination of an operating theatre and a cardiac catheter laboratory.

TAVI surgery is performed to treat aortic valve stenosis, During TAVI surgery, a biological aortic valve attached to the tip of a catheter is passed into your heart and secured in position by inflating a balloon. There is no need to open the chest or use the heart-lung machine. The valve is typically implanted via the blood vessels in the groin; from there, it is passed to the heart via the aorta. If the condition of the blood vessels in the groin is such that they are unsuitable for use in valve implantation, the catheter can also be introduced via the cardiac apex, after first making a small incision on the left-hand side of the chest. More than 800 TAVI procedures are carried out at the Heart Center in Leipzig every year. This means that we offer one of the most extensive implantation programs in Europe, and enjoy an international reputation for our Expertise.

MitraClip surgery is used to treat mitral valve insufficiency. In this procedure, catheter-based access via the right groin allows the anterior mitral valve leaflet to be attached to the posterior leaflet, thus repairing the leak. In many cases, it is not possible to prevent leakage altogether. This procedure is suitable for treating symptoms. More than 140 patients every year undergo this procedure at the Heart Center in Leipzig.