Case Background
On September 26, 2024, Mr. Zhang brought his dog, QiQi, to Shanghai Xinyu Pet Hospital for mitral valve repair surgery. Making this decision was a long journey for QiQi's owner. Two years ago, when Qiqi was six, she was diagnosed with degenerative mitral valve disease (MMVD) in the regurgitation stage B2. Mr. Zhang learned about the V-Clamp treatment option at that time but decided to manage her condition with medication due to concerns about the risks of surgery. Recently, however, Qiqi's condition has worsened significantly. Medication could no longer control her progression, and she began coughing more frequently, especially after exercise, with her energy levels deteriorating, reaching the late C stage. Seeing several recent successful cases in China gave Mr. Zhang some confidence. Given that Qiqi was only eight years old, Mr. Zhang couldn’t bear to lose her and ultimately decided to proceed with the surgery. After completing the initial screening at Xinyu, we scheduled QiQi’s surgery.
On the day of the surgery, after routine checks including blood pressure, ECG, X-rays, and biochemistry tests, Xinyu's doctors confirmed that Qiqi’s condition was suitable for the V-Clamp mitral valve repair procedure.
Clinical Presentation
During the transesophageal ultrasound examination, it was discovered that QiQi had extensive prolapse of the mitral valve’s anterior leaflet and tethering of the posterior leaflet. Additionally, the angle of closure between the aorta and the mitral annulus was deviated, with the angle between the aorta and the mitral annular closure line around 30 degrees, which added complexity to the procedure. After evaluation and discussion, the medical team decided to place a Type IV V-Clamp in the A2P2 zone along the vertical closure line.
Procedure & Outcome
After finalizing the clamp placement plan, the surgeon began the open-chest procedure. Upon opening a small incision at the heart apex, doctors unexpectedly discovered that, due to two years of MMVD history, Qiqi's left ventricle had been under prolonged eccentric hypertrophy in a hyper-dynamic state. Her myocardial fibers had decreased flexibility, and her overall myocardial wall quality was compromised, which significantly increased the risk of myocardial tearing and posed additional challenges for suturing the incision after clamp placement.
Qiqi was discharged on October 5 and had her first follow-up on the 21st. Her regurgitation had reduced by over 80%, her breathing was steady, coughing frequency had decreased, and her energy and appetite had markedly improved, with her physical activity returning to normal.
Follow-up & Insights
About Xinyu Pet Hospital
Shanghai Xinyu Pet (Pet Cardiology Specialist) Hospital was established in 2019 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shanghai Hongyu Medical. The hospital is positioned as a flagship specialist hospital for pet cardiac screening and treatment and is the first heart specialist hospital in China to perform minimally invasive mitral valve surgery for pets. It provides high-end, specialized cardiac treatment services for pets across the country while also supporting partnered pet hospitals with training and surgical technical support services. The hospital has a professional team of veterinarians and an excellent postoperative care team and is equipped with various advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment. It offers minimally invasive surgery for mitral valve regurgitation in pets and provides practical training for domestic and international veterinary experts. As of the end of 2023, Shanghai Xinyu Pet Hospital has successfully conducted V-Clamp technical training for over 50 hospitals worldwide.
Discussion
About Shanghai Hongyu Medical
Founded in 2019, with a registered capital of 10 million RMB, Shanghai Hongyu Medical Technology Co.,Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to pet cardiology research, innovative medical device R & D and commercialization. lts core product is the self-developed mitral valve interventional repair device V-Clamp. It is currently the only surgical instrument around the world which can be used to treat mitral regurgitation for pet dogs.
Closing Notes
In addition to the R&D, production and sales of medical devices for animal heart disease, Hongyu Medical is also committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation between domestic and international veterinarians, and providing veterinarians at home and abroad with theoretical and technical training related to the diagnosis, treatment and care of pet animal heart disease.
