China-Valve Innovation, Shared Globally | Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Team Supports the First Overseas Clinical Applications of a Chinese-Developed Mitral Clip System in Chile

Recently, the domestically developed NeoNova® Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair System successfully completed its first two overseas clinical applications at Hospital del Tórax Instituto Nacional del Tórax (National Institute of Thoracic Diseases, Chile). Two patients with severe mitral regurgitation successfully underwent Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) procedures using the system. Both patients recovered well after the procedures, with significant improvement in mitral regurgitation. The successful completion of these first overseas clinical cases marks an important step in NeoNova®'s expansion into the international market and represents a meaningful example of Chinese cardiovascular innovation devices and clinical expertise reaching the global stage. 

For these procedures, the team led by Professor Jorge Sandoval from the National Institute of Thoracic Diseases in Chile provided patient cases and clinical support. The structural heart disease team led by President Wang Yan from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital Xiamen University (Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital) participated in preoperative case evaluation, procedural strategy planning, risk assessment discussions, and provided comprehensive technical guidance throughout the procedures. Professor Chen Xiang traveled to Chile to provide on-site technical support.The Chinese and Chilean teams conducted extensive discussions regarding patients' anatomical characteristics, mechanisms of regurgitation, device selection, clipping strategies, and intraoperative risk management. Through close collaboration, individualized procedural plans were developed, ensuring the successful completion of both interventions.  

As one of the earliest cardiovascular specialty centers in China to perform structural heart disease interventions and actively participate in the clinical translation of innovative domestic medical devices, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital has accumulated extensive experience in minimally invasive interventions for complex valvular diseases, including mitral and tricuspid valve disorders. The hospital has developed considerable expertise in patient selection, procedural planning, device utilization, and risk management.Its participation in NeoNova®'s first overseas clinical applications further demonstrates the hospital's professional capabilities in structural heart disease intervention, clinical translation of domestic medical devices, and international technical collaboration.  

Particularly noteworthy is that the development, clinical validation, and translational process of NeoNova® have remained closely aligned with the clinical needs and technical expertise of Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital. The hospital led the clinical research and validation of the system, making it one of the key achievements resulting from its long-standing commitment to medical-engineering integration and the clinical translation of domestically developed valvular intervention devices.Leveraging extensive experience in structural heart disease interventions, President Wang Yan’s team spearheaded the clinical research and validation of the NeoNova® system, providing critical evidence supporting the evaluation of its safety, efficacy, and clinical application.  In 2025, the two-year follow-up results of NeoNova® were presented at PCR London Valves, a leading international conference on transcatheter valve interventions. The study findings were reported by Professor Wang Yan’s team from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital.This prospective, multicenter study involved 23 research centers across China and enrolled 123 patients with symptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation. Follow-up results at both 12 and 24 months demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy, providing strong evidence supporting NeoNova®’s transition from domestic clinical application to international adoption. The findings also further increased international attention toward China’s original innovations in transcatheter mitral valve repair technologies.  

Mitral regurgitation is one of the most common valvular heart diseases. If left untreated, severe regurgitation can significantly impair cardiac function and quality of life. For elderly patients, those with significant comorbidities, or individuals considered high-risk candidates for open-heart surgery, TEER offers an important minimally invasive treatment option.Both Chilean patients presented with complex mitral regurgitation. Following comprehensive assessment and multidisciplinary discussions by the Chinese and Chilean teams, successful minimally invasive interventions were performed with excellent immediate outcomes. The cases also laid a solid foundation for future academic exchange, technical training, and clinical cooperation between China and Chile in the field of interventional cardiology.  

During the procedures, the NeoNova® Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair System demonstrated outstanding performance and received high recognition from the procedural team. Its core advantages were fully reflected in these two complex clinical cases.As a next-generation mitral valve repair device independently developed in China, NeoNova® features an innovative straight-line elastic self-locking design, which effectively prevents and resolves chordal entanglement during procedures, significantly reducing procedural risks. This design represents one of the system’s most distinctive advantages compared with similar devices currently available on the market.In addition, the system offers simple and user-friendly operation, with highly efficient and precise orientation adjustment capabilities, enabling adaptation to a wide variety of leaflet anatomies. Notably, both patients had regurgitant jet widths of approximately 15 mm, yet NeoNova® successfully resolved the regurgitation using only a single C6 clip in each case.These results demonstrate the device’s ability to reduce the number of clips required, improve procedural efficiency, preserve a larger effective valve orifice area, protect leaflet tissue, and minimize the risk of mitral stenosis. The system therefore provides clinicians with a safer and more efficient treatment option while truly achieving the goals of minimally invasive, precise, and effective therapy.  

Following the procedures, Professor Jorge Sandoval highly praised the NeoNova® system:“The two cases have very good quality, everything is good. Because we do a lot of cases like this posterior and anterior leaflet pathology, it’s very easy to grasp, and one clip can settle the problem.”

He further noted that NeoNova® performs comparably to leading international products. Its ease of use and excellent clinical outcomes will provide a valuable new treatment option for patients with severe mitral regurgitation in Chile and throughout South America.  

The successful completion of NeoNova®’s first overseas implantations in Chile represents a milestone achievement in the global expansion of China’s high-end medical device industry. It also serves as an exemplary case of Chinese medical innovation contributing to global health development and supporting international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

This important achievement would not have been possible without the leadership and comprehensive support provided by President Wang Yan and his team from Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital. As the lead clinical trial team for the NeoNova® system, they have dedicated years of work to the field of structural heart disease intervention, providing world-class clinical expertise, rigorous technical standards, and mature treatment strategies. Their efforts established a solid technical foundation for the overseas application of the device and enabled the effective transfer of Chinese standards, Chinese technologies, and Chinese clinical experience to local medical teams in Chile.The success of these procedures not only created a bridge for deeper cooperation between China and Chile in the field of interventional cardiology, but also vividly demonstrated the spirit of people-to-people connectivity and reflected the Chinese medical community’s commitment to advancing global health cooperation through openness, collaboration, and shared development.