Details.
A minimally invasive mitral valve replacement option for high surgical risk patients with symptomatic deterioration after tissue mitral valve replacement. The procedure may use access through the groin blood vessels or the chest and avoids opening the chest wall, stopping the heart, and using bypass. Patient evaluation includes cardiac CT and echocardiography. The procedure typically takes two to three hours, sometimes longer depending on case complexity, followed by one to two days of monitoring and a comprehensive echocardiogram within 24 hours.