Living with Mitral valve disease can significantly affect your quality of life, causing symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, reduced exercise capacity, and even heart failure. If your doctor has mentioned TEER, MitraClip, MyClip, or TMVR as treatment options, you are probably wondering what each one means and whether they are even the same thing. The terminology can be confusing, even for patients who have been living with a heart valve condition for years.
This guide breaks it all down in plain language so you can walk into your next appointment with a clearer picture.
TEER stands for Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair. It is not a device. It is a minimally invasive procedure done to treat Mitral Regurgitation (MR), also commonly called as leaky heart valve.
In TEER, a doctor uses a thin, flexible tube inserted through a vein in the leg to reach the mitral valve. A small clip device is then placed on the valve leaflets, clipping them together so the valve closes more completely and the leaking reduces.
No open-heart surgery. No stopping the heart. No large incisions.
You may be a suitable candidate for TEER if you have:
TEER is currently recommended by the 2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guidelines for patients with significant mitral regurgitation who are at high or moderate surgical risk.
MitraClip is the clip device used to perform a TEER procedure. Made by Abbott, it was the world’s first TEER device and has been used in over 200,000 patients globally across more than two decades of clinical use.
Think of it this way:
-TEER is the procedure.
-MitraClip is the device used during TEER.
Everything you need to know about MitraClip:
MyClip is another TEER device, introduced more recently and available in India. It works on the same principle as MitraClip: a clip is delivered through a catheter and placed on the mitral valve leaflets to reduce leakage.
The experienced doctors at Heart Valve Experts (HVE) in Mumbai led the first-in-human trials of MyClip in India, making it one of the few centres in the country with direct early experience using this device.
Everything you need to know about MyClip:
TMVR stands for Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement. This is different from TEER in one important way: instead of repairing the existing valve, the entire valve is replaced with a new prosthetic one, all without open-heart surgery.
TMVR is a relatively more complex procedure and is considered a second-line option. When the valve anatomy is too damaged or complex for a repair-based approach like TEER, TMVR is used.
TMVR may be considered in patients with:
A comprehensive evaluation by the heart team helps determine whether replacing the valve is likely to provide a better long-term outcome than repairing it.
| TEER | MitraClip | MyClip | TMVR | |
| What is it? | The procedure | The repair device | Another repair device | Full valve replacement |
| How it works | Clips valve leaflets together | Clips via catheter | Clips via catheter | Replaces valve via catheter |
| Open surgery? | No | No | No | No |
| Best for | High or moderate surgical risk patients | Suitable TEER anatomy | High-risk, selected cases | Complex anatomy, failed repairs |
| Experience level | Well established | 20+ years, 200,000+ cases | Newer, limited to select centres | Still evolving |
Before any of these procedures, a thorough echocardiogram is essential. A transoesophageal echo (TEE) gives the team a detailed view of the valve structure, the degree of leakage, and whether the anatomy is suitable for a clip-based repair or whether replacement is the better path.
Echocardiography helps assess:
This is why the heart team evaluation matters so much. A cardiologist, cardiac surgeon, and imaging specialist all need to review your case together before a recommendation is made.
If you or a family member has been told they have a leaking mitral valve, breathlessness that is getting worse, or an echo report showing significant mitral regurgitation, do not put off getting a second opinion from a specialist centre.
The difference between a well-timed intervention and a delayed one can be significant for long-term heart function.
A leaking mitral valve does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it is breathlessness on the stairs. Sometimes it is fatigue that has slowly become the new normal.
If you have been diagnosed with mitral regurgitation or have been advised to consider a transcatheter mitral valve procedure, consult Heart Valve Experts for a comprehensive evaluation and personalised treatment recommendations from an experienced structural heart team.
MitraClip is the device used in a TEER procedure. TEER is the technique; MitraClip is the clip.
Currently MyClip is available at a small number of specialised centres. HVE at HVS Hospitals Mumbai has been a pioneer in introducing it to India.
TEER reduces leakage significantly in eligible patients. It relieves symptoms and reduces the load on the heart substantially.
Not necessarily. TEER is preferred where anatomy allows. TMVR is considered when repair is not feasible. Your heart team will guide the right choice based on your specific situation.
Typically one to three hours. Most patients are discharged within one to two days.
About The Author
With over 15 years of expertise, Dr. Phatarpekar is recognised as a renowned interventional cardiologist in Mumbai, specialising in complex coronary interventions, structural heart procedures, and pioneering work in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI).
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