Mitral regurgitation is a condition in which your heart’s mitral valve doesn’t close properly, allowing leakage of blood backwards through the mitral valve.

Mitral valve regurgitation usually progresses slowly over time and patients with mild regurgitation may have no symptoms until complications occur. One of the earliest signs of mitral valve regurgitation is a heart murmur. Patients with severe mitral regurgitation may have symptoms which include shortness of breath, fatigue, lightheadedness, cough, heart palpitations and swollen feet or ankles.

Beating heart mitral valve repair is a treatment option for patients with degenerative mitral valve regurgitation. The NeoChord procedure is performed through a small incision between the ribs to access the mitral valve without the need to temporarily stop the heart. Using echo-guidance, damaged or ruptured mitral valve chords are restored on the leaking segment of the mitral valve leaflet while the heart is beating.