By Jennifer Theurer

According to a recent article by News on 6 reporter Makayla Glenn, doctors at Oklahoma Heart Institute are now offering a heart valve replacement that requires no open-heart surgery. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the device called the Sapien M3 transcatheter mitral valve replacement system that allows doctors to replace a diseased mitral valve using catheters rather than opening the chest or stopping the heart.

When the mitral valve leaks, patients can develop debilitating congestive heart failure symptoms such as shortness of breath, low energy, and swelling.

Doctors say the procedure is currently approved for patients who are considered high-risk for open-heart surgery, often older adults or people with multiple medical conditions. The TMVR device and procedure lowers risk and shortens a patient’s recovery time.

Oklahoma Heart Institute has been involved in clinical trials for the technology since 2022, helping test and refine the procedure before it received FDA approval.

This announcement comes right at the beginning of American Heart Month when doctors want to make people aware of heart disease and what they can do to prevent it.