Use of four MitraClip devices in a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy and mitral regurgitation: "zipping by clipping".

Severe mitral regurgitation (MR) as a consequence of underlying left ventricular dysfunction substantially contributes to morbidity and mortality. A variety of percutaneous treatment options for mitral valve repair have been developed; however, most of these techniques are still at an early stage of clinical evaluation. Today, percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair using the MitraClip® system is the only endovascular approach that demonstrated noninferiority when compared with standard surgical repair in a randomized trial. However, a considerable number of patients with functional MR will present with extensive annulus dilatation and minimal vertical leaflet coaptation that potentially preclude them from this beneficial technology for anatomical reasons. In this report, we portray a 72-year-old man presenting with end-stage systolic heart failure and severe functional MR as a consequence of long-standing coronary artery disease. Recently, his clinical course was complicated by intractable hemodynamic instability and recurrent pulmonary edema. High predicted mortality and progressive physical decay rendered this moribund patient a candidate for salvage percutaneous mitral valve repair. During the endovascular procedure, a central systolic coaptation gap of 7 mm proved to be too wide for adequate simultaneous grasping of both leaflets. Consideration was given to an alternative approach by means of our novel "zipping technique." Through the trans-septal route, medial to lateral approximation of the tethered leaflets was successfully achieved by intentional deployment of four MitraClip® devices. With the first in-human application of four mechanical implants, a profound reduction of MR grade has been accomplished by the creation of a lateral neo-orifice with apparent acute clinical success. However, it needs to be determined whether successful application of the zipping technique leads to sustained reverse ventricular remodeling and will translate into an improved long-term prognosis.