Each fall, the Cleveland Clinic names its “Top 10 Medical Innovations” that will shape health care in the year ahead.

For 2009, the number five-ranked medical innovation was a non-invasive, percutaneous mitral valve regurgitation repair system.

Using a tiny wishbone-shaped device, the mitral valve is repaired non-surgically. A catheter is carefully guided through the femoral vein in the groin, up to the heart’s mitral valves.

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As you may know, several of my readers (including Larry Larsson and Leslie Lafayette) had successful mitral valve repair operations using the minimally invasive Da Vinci Robot.

Guess what? I just learned that The Cleveland Clinic will host a live webcast on December 10, 2008 at 5pm (EST) to review the options and treatment of mitral valve disease via robotic surgery. Two of the top surgeons from The Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Marc Gillinov and Dr. Tomislav Mhaljevic, will lead this event and discuss topics including mitral valve prolapse and asymptomatic patients.

If you would like to attend this complementary webinar for patients and caregivers, simply click this link… Special Webinar: Cleveland Clinic Surgeons Discuss Mitral Valve Repair Using Da Vinci Robot.

Even though I had a traditional sternotomy, I am definitely going to attend this webcast to learn more about mitral valve repair using non-invasive, robotic technology.

Keep on tickin!

Medical technology is rapidly advancing.

So is the little baby boy growing in the tummy of my pregnant wife, Robyn.

Considering the genetic nature of heart valve disease – including aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation – we’re thinking about using an umbilical cord blood bank. As you may know, a baby’s umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of non-controversial stem cells.

In light of this thought, I just learned some exciting, new research specific to stem cells and heart valves. Health Day News is now reporting that stem cells collected at birth from the umbilical cord may help doctors fashion new heart valves for children born with heart valve defects including bicuspid aortic valve and mitral valve prolapse.

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Talk about an incredible doctor and cutting-edge technology!

I just learned that porcine valve replacement pioneer, Alain Carpentier, is leading the development of a new, artificial heart. Carmat SAS, Carpentier’s France-based company, recently landed over $15 million in start-up funding and $50 million in government grants to develop the artificial heart using plane technology.

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If you follow the latest technology and medical advancements of heart valve surgery, I thought you would enjoy this update and video:

Evalve, Inc., a leading provider of minimally invasive mitral valve repair techniques, has completed randomized enrollment in the endovascular valve edge-to-edge repair study, which is evaluating the MitraClip system as a non-surgical repair option for patients suffering from mitral regurgitation. This study is an FDA-approved Phase II randomized, controlled, multi-center clinical research study in the US and Canada evaluating the safety and efficacy of the MitraClip device in 279 patients with moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation.

Donald Glower, professor of surgery at Duke Medical Center and co-principal investigator of the Everest study, said: “This trial sets a high scientific standard for future mitral percutaneous valve therapies. As a result, this trial will have a significant and long-lasting impact on patient care around the world.”

Keep on tickin!