Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) occurs when the leaflets of the heart's mitral valve do not close properly. The mitral valve is a one-way valve that separates the left atrium (a chamber in the heart which collects blood) from the left ventricle (a chamber in the heart which pumps blood out to the body). For patients with MR, blood flows backward into the left atrium during the heartbeat, thereby decreasing cardiac output (or blood flow out to the body). When MR is severe, the left ventricle must pump harder to compensate.

Continual backflow due to MR places an extra burden on the heart. Eventually, this extra burden can cause other heart problems, such as: progressive myocardial injury (ongoing damage to the myocardium, or heart muscle), congestive heart failure (a condition in which the heart is unable to maintain adequate circulation of blood in the body), stroke (a rupture or obstruction – as, for example, by a clot – of a blood vessel of the brain that can cause loss of consciousness, sensation, and voluntary motion), and in some patients sudden death.

The Everest II trial, lead by Dr. William A. Gray, Director of Endovascular Intervention is currently enrolling patients at Columbia University Medical Center. The FDA-approved multi-center clinical trial evaluates percutaneous repair in the treatment of patients with moderately severe or severe MR. To qualify for the trial contact Dr. William Gray at 212.305.7060 or email him at wgray@crf.org.