St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro has successfully performed the first minimally invasive mitral valve repair in northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri, offering new hope to heart patients at high risk for traditional open-heart surgery.
St. Bernards’ physicians used a mechanical clip device and delivery system called MitraClip to help fix the mitral valve in the heart after it failed to close properly. This condition, known as mitral valve regurgitation, can cause people to feel tired, short of breath or weak.
St. Bernards’ interventional cardiologist, Dr. Jack McKee, described the procedure as a “milestone” that brings the latest cardiac treatments to the region.
St. Bernards completed the procedure using a multidisciplinary group of specialists known as a “heart team.” The procedure took place in one of two new hybrid heart labs inside the St. Bernards HeartCare Center.
