Context

• A small device called Mitra Clip can help repair damaged heart valves, reducing the risk of deaths among patients with a grim prognosis.

About

• A tiny clip inserted into the heart can restores regular function of the valve.
• By joining two wayward flaps of the damaged mitral valve together in the middle, it makes a valve regulate blood flow in and out of the heart.
• This can greatly lower death rates for patients with severe heart failure.
  
  

  Heart failure and mitral valve:   • Also known as congestive heart failure, occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump blood as well as it should. It is a chronic condition.   • Some common signs and symptoms of heart failure include - shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, fatigue and weakness, swollen legs, lack of appetite and nausea, etc.   • In heart failure, the organ itself is damaged and flaccid, often as a consequence of a heart attack. The muscle pumps inefficiently, and in an attempt to compensate, the heart enlarges and becomes misshapen.   • The enlarged organ tugs apart the mitral valve, which controls blood flow from the left atrium into the left ventricle. The distorted valve functions poorly, its flaps swinging apart. Blood that is supposed to be pumped into the body backs up into the heart and lungs.   • A vicious cycle ensues: The heart enlarges, so the mitral valve leaks. The leaky mitral valve makes the heart enlarge even more, as it tries to compensate, and heart failure worsens

Significance

• In India, more than 17 lakh people die of heart diseases every year. Current estimates show that the county will soon have the highest number of heart disease cases in the world.
• The device will be an avatar of new hope to a large number of people with severe heart attack and could be a game changer for severe heart failure which affects millions of people across the world.

Learning Aid