A research team from the Spanish National Cardiovascular Research Center (CNIC) and the University Clinical Hospital of Valladolid has developed a new technique that allows for the repair of mechanical heart valves without resorting to open-heart surgery. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, describes a less invasive alternative for people with this type of prosthesis who experience complications and for whom reoperation poses a high risk.

Mechanical valves have been implanted for decades due to their long lifespan, but when they fail—for example, if the discs that regulate blood flow become blocked—the only solution until now was a major surgical procedure. This option is not always viable for elderly people, those with previous surgeries, or those with additional health problems.

The new technique, known as valve-in-valve mechanical (ViMech), is performed using a catheter inserted through the femoral artery. Through this approach, the medical team removes the defective discs from the mechanical valve and implants a new valve percutaneously, without the need for chest surgery or stopping the heart.

The article describes the first successfully treated cases in patients at high surgical risk. Valve function was restored immediately, and recovery was rapid, with no serious complications during initial follow-up. Although this technique will need to be studied in more patients, the work opens a new, less invasive treatment avenue that can improve the safety and quality of life for many people with mechanical heart valves.