ST Xego

The Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital made history in February 2025 when it became the first health facility in Gauteng to perform MitraClip implants. This procedure is a minimally invasive treatment to mend leaking hearts. The procedure’s key benefits include drastically reduced recovery times, often just one- or two days post-insertion, making it a game-changer for elderly or high-risk mitral regurgitation patients who are unsuitable candidates for open-heart surgery.

With its availability through academic hospitals and the ongoing tracking of patient outcomes, this pioneering therapy is set to transform the treatment landscape for mitral regurgitation in South Africa. The revolutionary procedure that the hospital conducted between 3 – 4 February 2025, aimed at treating severe mitral regurgitation, marks a significant advancement in minimally invasive heart valve therapy, now accessible to both public and private patients in Gauteng.

This procedure is but an example of the many inroads in the healthcare system through collaboration between the public and private sectors. With this procedure now accessible, the hospital is able to help these patients get back to a normal life without having to expose them to the risk that open heart surgery would have disposed them to,