NHS 'denies' thousands of heart patients keyhole operation that could transform their lives and reduce their risk of death By Andy Beaven Published: 01:20, 26 May 2024 | Updated: 01:21, 26 May 2024 e-mail View comments Thousands of patients with a common heart problem that leaves them weak and struggling for breath are being denied a quick keyhole operation that could transform their lives and reduce their risk of death. Affecting about one in 50 people, a potentially deadly condition called mitral regurgitation (MR) is caused by a leaky heart valve – and can leave sufferers exhausted even from day-to-day activities such as showering or getting dressed. Open heart surgery can fix the problem, but is often considered too risky.
But now surgeons have developed a keyhole procedure they believe could treat thousands more MR patients – but say they are being blocked by the NHS . Called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), the remarkable op inserts a thin tube called a catheter in a vein in the patient's groin to guide a small clip – like a clothes peg – into the heart. Clipping the faulty valve can reduce the leak and restore normal heart function, dramatically improving quality of life, even for severely ill patients.
The procedure takes two hours, has minimal recovery time and, as it is less invasive, reduced complications. Called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), the remarkable op inserts a thin tube called a catheter in a vein in the patient's groin to gui.