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Research Summary

Dr. Michael Davidson is researching on techniques for heart valve repair, a procedure that most often requires open-heart surgery. For some patients who are elderly or have other health problems, open-heart procedures carry serious risk.  Dr. Davidson’s work to develop percutaneous (catheter-based), less-invasive approaches for valve disease will offer an alternative.

Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair with Adjustable Artificial Chordae

Mitral regurgitation (MR) from myxomatous valve degeneration is a common clinical problem often requiring open-heart surgery for repair. Over the past few years a number of innovative devices have emerged for percutaneous transcatheter mitral valve repair, drawing upon open surgical methods. To date, no device has been successfully created that can address the critical problem of modulating mitral leaflet height, particularly flail leaflet. As a result, the majority of clinically significant MR cannot be treated percutaneously by the existing devices. The new concept application proposes a percutaneous transcatheter method and device that emulates an established surgical technique, the creation of artificial mitral valve chordae. The technology consists of three basic elements: a system of applying suture to the mitral leaflet edge, a papillary muscle anchor, and a fastening system to secure the two. The system proposed allows real-time adjustment of artificial chordal length under image guidance, allowing optimal modulation of mitral leaflet height. The ability to adjust leaflet height and address flail leaflet and bileaflet prolapse using catheter-based methods could significantly broaden the patient population eligible for truly minimally-invasive valve repair.

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Funding

1. CIMIT (PI: Davidson, 10/2005 - 09/2008) -- "Percutanteous Mitral Valve Repair with Artificial Adjustable Chordae"

2. CIMIT New Concept Award

3. 2008 Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Surgery Junior Fellowship in Honor of Robert T. Osteen, M.D. / Harvard Medical School Eleanor and Miles Shore 50th Anniversary Fellowship Program for Scholars in Medicine

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Publications

To access Dr. Michael Davidson's publications, please click here.

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Michael Davidson
MD

Clinical Profile & Contact Information

Research Interests

Heart Valve Repair