A groundbreaking medical milestone was achieved at Yale New Haven Hospital as a team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons performed the state’s first BATMAN procedure. The innovative treatment—led by cardiologists Amit Vora, MD, MPH, Samuel Reinhardt, MD, and John Forrest, MD, director of the Structural Heart Program, together with director of the Aortic Institute, Prashanth Vallabhajosyula, MD, MS—offers new hope for patients with complex disease of mitral valve and challenging anatomical conditions.
The BATMAN (Balloon-Assisted Translocation of the Mitral Anterior Leaflet) procedure is an innovative transcatheter approach designed to treat severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients who are not candidates for traditional surgical or standard transcatheter interventions. This technique targets mitral valve dysfunction by reshaping or repositioning the anterior mitral leaflet using balloon assistance to improve leaflet coaptation and reduce regurgitation. It is particularly beneficial for patients with complex anatomical challenges or comorbid conditions that preclude them from undergoing open-heart surgery or standard treatments such as MitraClip or transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). By adapting to these challenges, the BATMAN procedure offers a minimally invasive alternative for high-risk patients who otherwise have limited treatment options.
“The Yale team’s successful execution of this advanced treatment underscores our commitment to pioneering cardiac care as an academic health system,” said Eric Velazquez, MD, chief of cardiovascular medicine at Yale and physician-in-chief of the Heart and Vascular Center.
Nita Ahuja, MD, MBA, surgeon-in-chief for the Yale New Haven Health System, added, “This milestone highlights the collaborative efforts of our multidisciplinary team and our focus on delivering innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes.”
The BATMAN procedure is expected to pave the way for broader adoption of transcatheter solutions tailored to individual anatomical complexities of the mitral valve.
Correction: This article has been corrected to define BATMAN as Balloon-Assisted Translocation of the Mitral Anterior Leaflet, not Basilica Technique with MitraClip for Anatomically Nonconforming as originally described.