Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Repair Device Works in 98.5% of Heart Failure Patients | Research

The takeaway

The Carillon Mitral Contour System was successfully implanted in 98.5% of 204 heart failure patients, improving BNP levels, symptoms, and valve function.

98.5% success
Carillon device implantation in 204 consecutive heart failure patients with mitral regurgitation

What the researchers found

Carillon device achieved 98.5% implantation success in 204 HF patients, with improved BNP, functional class, and mitral regurgitation at 3 months.

Why it matters

Many elderly heart failure patients are too frail for surgery — a minimally invasive 98.5% success rate option fills a critical treatment gap.

The numbers in context

N=204; age 83+/-6; 68% female; 72% HFrEF; 98.5% implant success; 94% NYHA improvement at 3 months; 91% MR reduction; 10.4% procedural complications.

How the study worked

Single-center retrospective study of 204 consecutive patients receiving Carillon device from 2021-2024.

Who was studied

Elderly patients (mean age 83) with heart failure and secondary mitral regurgitation

What this study cannot tell us

Single-center retrospective study. Only 3-month follow-up. No control group.

How to read the evidence

Single-center retrospective series — good real-world evidence for feasibility but lacks randomized comparison.

When this study was published

Published in 2025, reflecting growing experience with indirect mitral annuloplasty.

The bigger picture

Minimally invasive structural heart interventions are expanding options for elderly patients who were previously considered untreatable.

Questions still open

Do the benefits persist beyond 3 months?
How does this compare to surgical mitral repair or MitraClip in similar patients?

Common questions

What is the Carillon device?

A minimally invasive device that repairs a leaking mitral heart valve through a vein, without open-heart surgery — it works by reshaping the valve ring.

Is this procedure safe for elderly patients?

This study showed a 98.5% success rate in patients averaging 83 years old, with low complication rates.

Read the original research

Indirect mitral annuloplasty in patients with reduced or preserved ejection fraction: A real-world, single-centre experience.

ESC heart failure, 12(6), 4410-4418

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Priebe-Brämer, Holger; Jaly, Firas; Rahunathan, Nithusa; Luedde, Mark; Albert, Alexander; Witte, Klaus K; Hippe, Hans-Joerg. (2025). Indirect mitral annuloplasty in patients with reduced or preserved ejection fraction: A real-world, single-centre experience.. ESC heart failure, 12(6), 4410-4418. https://doi.org/10.1002/ehf2.70016