| 主权项 |
1. A two-step method of replacing a patient's mitral valve, comprising:
endovascularly delivering a valve support to a location near a subject′s mitral valve, the valve support comprising a first support element, a second support element, and first and second bridging members extending from the first and second support elements, wherein said valve support is configured to have a collapsed delivery configuration and an expanded deployed configuration; expanding the first support element from a collapsed first support delivery configuration to a deployed first support configuration secured against cardiac tissue below the plane of the mitral valve annulus; expanding the bridge members from collapsed bridge delivery configurations to expanded bridge deployed configurations positioned in general alignment with the coaptation points of the native mitral valve leaflets; and expanding the second support element from a collapsed second support delivery configuration to an expanded second support deployed configuration secured against left atrial tissue above the plane of the mitral valve annulus; wherein the native valve leaflets function after said expansion of said second support element; and subsequently delivering a replacement mitral valve and securing said replacement mitral valve to the valve support. |
