Intraoperative Assessment of the Mitral Valve

Mitral regurgitation (MR) affects over 5 million people in the US and describes backflow between the mitral valve, one of the four main heart valves. Severe MR is treated by open heart mitral valve repair. In order to guide the exact operative intervention, surgeons perform intraoperative valvular assessment using a bulb syringe, which allows pressurization of the left ventricle and mitral valve. Shortcomings of this method include imprecision of pressure and volume, limited time to assess the valve, and occupation of the surgeon’s hand(s). The Salmon Cardiac Cannula aims to improve the quality of open mitral valve repair surgery by making intraoperative valvular assessment more accurate and reliable.