MitraClip (clip repair of a leaky mitral valve) (Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER))
A catheter-based procedure that fits one or more small clips onto a leaky mitral valve to help it close better, without open-heart surgery — mainly for people who are higher risk for surgery.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- MitraClip clips the edges of a leaky mitral valve together through a catheter, without open-heart surgery, to reduce the leak.
- It is mainly for people who are higher risk or unsuitable for open mitral surgery; a specialist heart team decides who it suits.
- It usually reduces, rather than completely stops, the leak, and does not cure the underlying heart condition.
- Recovery is usually quicker than surgery, but it still carries real risks such as bleeding around the heart, the clip not holding, and stroke.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Reduces a leaky mitral valve without open-heart surgery
You are fit enough for surgery and a surgical repair would give a more complete or durable result.
You are monitored closely, especially your heart rhythm and the groin access site. You usually keep the leg still for a while to protect the access point.
A named contact and clear out-of-hours route for stroke symptoms, breathlessness, fainting or access-site problems.
You are monitored closely, especially your heart rhythm and the groin access site. You usually keep the leg still...
Most people get up and about and go home within one to three days, once the heart rhythm and access site are...
Take it easy and avoid heavy lifting and straining while the access site heals. Watch for bruising, swelling or...
Energy and breathing often improve as the heart adjusts. Continue your heart-failure medicines and ask about...
What is MitraClip?
The mitral valve is the one-way door between the heart's two left chambers. If it does not close properly, blood leaks backwards (mitral regurgitation), making the heart work harder and often causing breathlessness, tiredness and fluid build-up.
MitraClip is a way of reducing a leaky mitral valve without open-heart surgery. It is also called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER). A thin tube (catheter) is passed through a vein in the groin and across to the left side of the heart, and one or more small clips are placed to hold the edges of the valve flaps together. This helps the valve close more completely, so less blood leaks back.
It is mainly used for people who are higher risk or unsuitable for open mitral surgery, including some people with a leak related to a weakened heart muscle (secondary regurgitation). A specialist heart team decides who it suits, and it is done in specialist centres.
MitraClip usually reduces a leak rather than abolishing it completely, and it does not cure the underlying heart problem. It is less invasive than surgery but still a serious heart procedure with real risks, including bleeding around the heart, the clip not holding, and stroke.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
MitraClip vs open mitral valve surgery
| Point | MitraClip | Open surgery |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Catheter, via a vein in the groin | Open or keyhole heart surgery |
| Recovery | Usually quicker; short stay | Longer; often a week in hospital |
| Best for | Higher-risk or unsuitable-for-surgery patients | Lower-risk patients when repair is feasible |
| Leak result | Usually reduced, not always abolished | Often a more complete repair |
| Durability | Good for selected patients; can need repeat treatment | Repair often very durable in suitable valves |
MitraClip is less invasive, but a surgical repair can be more complete and durable in people fit for surgery. A specialist heart team weighs your risk, valve anatomy and heart function with you.
Preparing for your procedure
- Be assessed by a specialist heart team (cardiologists, surgeons, imaging and anaesthetic experts) who decide whether MitraClip suits you better than surgery or medicines.
- Expect detailed imaging, especially an echocardiogram through the gullet, to check the valve and plan the clip.
- If you have heart failure, expect your heart-failure medicines to be optimised first, as this is part of treating a functional leak.
- Tell the team about all your medicines and supplements; blood thinners and diabetes medicines often need adjusting.
- Mention any allergy to contrast dye and any kidney problems, as dye is used during the procedure.
- Have a dental check if advised, as treating dental infection first lowers the risk of a heart-valve infection.
- Arrange someone to take you home and help for the first days, as you should not drive straight away.
What happens
MitraClip is done under general anaesthetic in a specialist catheter lab by a heart team. A thin tube is passed through a vein in the groin and guided up to the heart, then across the wall between the upper chambers through a tiny controlled puncture, so the team can reach the mitral valve from the left side.
Guided by X-ray and detailed ultrasound from inside the gullet, the team positions a small clip onto the edges of the leaking valve flaps and gently closes it so the flaps are held together. They check how much the leak has improved, and may place more than one clip, before releasing it and removing the tubes.
The procedure often takes one to three hours. Afterwards you are monitored closely, especially the groin access site and your heart rhythm. Many people stay one to three days and go home once stable.
Is this procedure right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- You are fit enough for surgery and a surgical repair would give a more complete or durable result.
- The valve anatomy is unsuitable for a clip to grip safely or would leave the valve too narrowed.
- Your life expectancy or general health is such that the procedure is unlikely to help, so a comfort-focused plan may be kinder.
- Active infection or another condition makes the procedure unsafe right now.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You have an active infection, including a dental infection, that should be treated first.
- Your heart-failure medicines have not yet been optimised, which is part of treating a functional leak.
- Important imaging is missing, such as detailed echocardiography of the valve.
- Your kidney function needs review before contrast dye is used.
- Blood thinners or other medicines need safe adjustment beforehand.
Alternatives to discuss
- Surgical mitral valve repair or replacement for patients fit for surgery.
- Optimised heart-failure medicines and devices for secondary (functional) regurgitation.
- Careful monitoring with echocardiograms if the leak is not yet severe.
- A comfort-focused (palliative) approach if a procedure is not in your best interests, discussed honestly.
- A second opinion or heart-team review before deciding.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Comfort, sedation or contrast choices
If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.
Benefits
- Reduces a leaky mitral valve without open-heart surgery
- Often suitable for people who are too high-risk or frail for surgery
- Usually a quicker recovery and shorter hospital stay than open surgery
- Can ease breathlessness, tiredness and fluid build-up as you recover
- In selected heart-failure patients, can reduce hospital admissions for heart failure
- The leak is reduced straight away, and more than one clip can be used if needed
Risks & complications
- Bruising, bleeding or swelling where the catheter went in (usually the groin)
- A sore throat from the ultrasound probe or breathing tube
- Feeling tired or washed out for a few days
- A short-lived irregular heartbeat around the procedure
- A collection of blood around the heart, sometimes needing drainage
- Bleeding needing a blood transfusion
- The clip not reducing the leak enough, or the valve becoming a little narrowed
- Damage to the blood vessel used for access, occasionally needing repair
- Stroke during or soon after the procedure
- The clip coming loose or detaching, or damaging a valve flap, occasionally needing surgery
- Infection of the valve (endocarditis)
- Death — uncommon for a planned procedure, but a real risk, higher in frailer, higher-risk patients
The main specific concerns are bleeding around the heart, the clip not reducing the leak enough or the valve becoming narrowed, and stroke. Because MitraClip is used in higher-risk people, your overall health matters a lot. Ask the heart team why MitraClip rather than surgery or medicines is recommended for you, your own estimated risk, and how much they expect the leak to improve.
Published figures to discuss
Risks after MitraClip depend on your age, frailty, valve anatomy and heart function, and the procedure is used mainly in higher-risk people, so a single figure can mislead. The ranges below are broad figures reported around 30 days in published series and reviews; your personal risks should be estimated by the heart team, and how much the leak improves varies.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Significant residual or returning leak / device-related issue | Modern registry data report MR success in about 89–96%; reintervention about 1% at 30 days in one large G4 registry | The clip usually reduces rather than abolishes the leak; some leak can remain or return, and the valve can occasionally become narrowed. | Complications following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair — PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
| Stroke around the procedure | Roughly 1–2% in published series | A recognised but uncommon risk of any procedure crossing into the left side of the heart. | Complications following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair — PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure |
| Bleeding needing transfusion | Low single figures in many registries, but higher in frailer or anticoagulated patients | Includes bleeding at the access site or around the heart; some need transfusion or drainage, and local centre definitions vary. | Complications following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair — PMCpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSource-linked context |
| Death around the procedure (30 days) | NICE evidence overview reported 30-day mortality from 0–8% across prospective studies, with a median about 3% | Depends heavily on baseline risk, heart failure severity and whether the procedure is elective; ask the heart team for your individual estimate. | NICE HTG513 — Percutaneous mitral valve leaflet repair for mitral regurgitationnice.org.ukPublished figure |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
Recovery is usually quicker than after open surgery because there is no chest wound — only a small access point in the groin. Many people go home within a few days, though it can take a few weeks to feel fully back to normal, particularly if the heart is weakened.
- Bruising, tenderness or a small lump where the catheter went in
- A sore throat for a day or two after the ultrasound probe and breathing tube
- Feeling tired or a little washed out for several days
- Gradually noticing less breathlessness as the heart adjusts
- Being monitored for heart-rhythm changes in the early days
Aftercare
- Take all medicines as prescribed, including any heart-failure medicines, blood thinners or antiplatelets your team advises.
- Look after the groin access site and watch for bruising, swelling, bleeding or pain.
- Avoid heavy lifting and straining for a week or two while the access site heals.
- Weigh yourself regularly if you have heart failure, and report rapid weight gain or worsening breathlessness.
- Tell any dentist or doctor you have a valve clip, as you may need antibiotics for some procedures.
- Attend follow-up appointments, including echocardiograms and heart-failure reviews.
- Do not drive until your team advises it is safe, and check the current driving rules (DVLA in England, Scotland and Wales; DVA in Northern Ireland).
- Someone to take you home and help for the first days
- A supply of your medicines and a clear list, including any blood thinners
- A way to weigh yourself and a note of your usual weight, if you have heart failure
- Loose, comfortable clothing that does not press on the groin site
- An alert note that you have a mitral valve clip
- Cardiac rehabilitation or follow-up appointment noted
- Clinic and out-of-hours contact numbers saved
Scars and how they heal
There is no chest wound. You will usually have only a small puncture where the catheter entered the vein, most often in the groin, which leaves a small mark and may bruise for a couple of weeks.
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Signs of stroke — face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech — call 999 immediately
- Sudden or worsening breathlessness, or fainting
- Chest pain that does not settle
- Bleeding, a rapidly swelling lump, severe pain, or a cold, pale or numb leg at the access site
- Fever, chills or feeling generally unwell, which can signal infection
- A fast or very irregular heartbeat with dizziness
- Rapid weight gain or swelling, if you have heart failure
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A successful MitraClip reduces the backward leak through the mitral valve, so the heart does not have to pump the same blood twice. The leak is reduced straight away, and many people notice less breathlessness, more energy and less fluid build-up as they recover. In selected people with a weakened heart, it can also reduce admissions to hospital for heart failure.
MitraClip usually reduces rather than completely abolishes the leak, and it does not cure the underlying heart condition. Some leak may remain or return over time, and the valve can occasionally become a little narrowed by the clip. Your team should be clear about how much improvement to expect for you, and that your heart-failure medicines remain important.
For carefully selected patients, the benefit of MitraClip can last for years, and in heart failure it can reduce hospital admissions over the medium term. However, the clip reduces rather than cures the leak, and some people develop a significant leak again over time or need a further procedure. Durability depends on the cause of the leak, the valve anatomy and your heart function, so results are best when the heart team has selected patients carefully and your heart-failure treatment is kept optimal.
Related tests, treatments or support
MitraClip treats the mitral leak only. If you also have significant disease of other valves, narrowed heart arteries or an irregular rhythm, the team may treat these separately or consider surgery instead. In secondary (functional) regurgitation, MitraClip is used alongside, not instead of, good heart-failure medicines and any recommended heart-failure devices.
Follow-up & long-term care
You will be monitored closely in the first day or two, particularly your heart rhythm and the access site. After you go home you will have follow-up appointments, usually including an echocardiogram to check the clip and the valve, and a heart-failure review if relevant, often with cardiac rehabilitation. Tell your team promptly if breathlessness, fluid build-up or fainting returns.
- Continuing heart-failure medicines and reviews, if your leak was related to a weakened heart
- Periodic echocardiograms to check the clip and the valve over time
- Good dental care and telling clinicians you have a valve clip, to reduce infection risk
- Taking any prescribed blood thinners or antiplatelets exactly as advised
- Monitoring weight and symptoms, and prompt review if breathlessness or swelling returns
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- MitraClip reduces rather than cures the leak, so some people need a further procedure over time.
- If the leak returns or is not reduced enough, options include another clip or surgery in selected patients.
- The valve can occasionally become narrowed by the clip, which is checked during and after the procedure.
- In functional regurgitation, keeping heart-failure treatment optimal is part of maintaining the benefit.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- A named contact and clear out-of-hours route for stroke symptoms, breathlessness, fainting or access-site problems.
- An echocardiogram to confirm how much the leak has improved and that the valve is not too narrowed.
- Continued heart-failure medicines and reviews where the leak is functional.
- Advice on dental care and antibiotic cover to reduce valve-infection risk.
- Clear medicine instructions, including any blood thinners, and planned echocardiogram follow-up.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The operator's and team's fees, and the specialist heart-team assessment
- The clip device, and whether more than one clip is used
- Catheter-lab time, the general anaesthetic and detailed ultrasound guidance
- Pre-procedure imaging, including echocardiography through the gullet, and contrast dye
- Length of stay and level of monitoring needed afterwards
- Treatment of any complication, such as a vessel repair or drainage of fluid
- Cardiac rehabilitation and follow-up echocardiograms
- The operator's and heart-team fees
- The clip (device) cost, and what is included if more than one clip is needed
- Catheter-lab, general anaesthetic and imaging charges
- Pre-procedure imaging and assessments
- Expected length of stay and monitoring, and the cost of extra days
- Follow-up appointments, echocardiograms and any heart-failure reviews
- What happens, and who pays, if you need surgery, drainage, a vessel repair or readmission
On the NHS? MitraClip is available on the NHS for selected patients, chosen by a specialist heart team in specialist centres; private care may be considered for timing, but suitability is still decided clinically.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Not being told the clip usually reduces, rather than abolishes, the leak.
- No clear explanation of why MitraClip is chosen over surgery or medicines for you.
- The risks of bleeding around the heart, stroke and the valve becoming narrowed not spelled out.
- Not being told that heart-failure medicines must continue if the leak is related to a weakened heart.
- No written aftercare and warning-signs plan, including stroke and breathlessness symptoms, before discharge.
Marketing red flags
- Describing MitraClip as a cure for the leak or for heart failure.
- Promoting it as 'better than surgery for everyone' regardless of risk or valve anatomy.
- Calling it a quick or without risks fix, without mentioning bleeding, stroke or residual leak.
- Skipping the role of a specialist heart team and optimised heart-failure medicines.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Why do you recommend MitraClip rather than surgery or medicines for me?
- How much do you expect my leak to improve, and could the valve become narrowed?
- What is my personal risk of bleeding around the heart, stroke or the clip not holding?
- Is my leak due to the valve itself or a weakened heart, and how does that change things?
- How will the clip and valve be checked afterwards, and what if the leak comes back?
- Will I need to keep taking heart-failure medicines, and which ones?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is MitraClip better than surgery?
Will the clip get rid of the leak completely?
Will I be asleep during the procedure?
Do I still need my heart-failure medicines afterwards?
How long is the recovery?
Is it available on the NHS?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: NICE HTG513 — Percutaneous mitral valve leaflet repair for mitral regurgitation British Heart Foundation — Heart valve disease NICE NG208 — Heart valve disease in adults Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust — Mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) Complications following transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair — PMC Transcatheter mitral valve repair for primary mitral regurgitation — PMC NICE HTG513 evidence overview — percutaneous mitral valve leaflet repair ACC — Real-world MitraClip G4 outcomes DVLA — Assessing fitness to drive DVA Northern Ireland — Telling DVA about a medical condition
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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