Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valvular heart disease with over 400,000 patients in Australia. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER), or mitral valve repair by catheter, is a promising treatment for MR. However, approximately 40% of patients receiving this treatment still develop heart failure. The main cause of this is undetected left heart dysfunction (LHD) which is not identifiable through current heart assessments. Once TEER repairs MR, the underlying LHD becomes conspicuous, which causes heart failure.

In this project, the research team aims to develop a new assessment technique using ultrasound, which can detect LHD before TEER. This new ultrasound assessment will provide adequate treatment to prevent post-TEER heart failure, allowing many patients to enjoy an enhanced quality of life and extended lifespan.