A tool for treating a mitral valve annulus of a heart, comprising: a substantially rigid handle comprising proximal and distal ends and having a length sufficient to access a mitral valve annulus from outside a patient's body via an opening in the patient's chest; a reshaping element extending from the distal end of the handle and terminating in a substantially atraumatic distal tip , the reshaping element being directable to a curved configuration defining a radius of curvature to extend partially around the mitral valve annulus for remodeling tissue surrounding the mitral valve annulus; further comprising an actuator on the proximal end of the handle and coupled to the reshaping element for directing the reshaping element from a relaxed configuration to facilitate introduction between leaflets of the mitral valve to the curved configuration; wherein the reshaping element is releasable from the distal end of the handle, the handle comprising one or more connectors for releasably attaching a proximal end of the reshaping element to the distal end of the handle; an actuator member coupled to the distal tip and extending proximally along the reshaping element to the reshaping element proximal end; and a locking element on the reshaping element proximal end that receives the actuator member therethrough such that the actuator member is slidable proximally through the locking element to allow tension to be applied to the actuator member by the actuator to direct the reshaping element towards the second configuration yet limit release of the tension to prevent the reshaping element from returning towards the first configuration. a substantially rigid handle comprising proximal and distal ends and having a length sufficient to access a mitral valve annulus from outside a patient's body via an opening in the patient's chest; a reshaping element extending from the distal end of the handle and terminating in a substantially atraumatic distal tip , the reshaping element being directable to a curved configuration defining a radius of curvature to extend partially around the mitral valve annulus for remodeling tissue surrounding the mitral valve annulus; further comprising an actuator on the proximal end of the handle and coupled to the reshaping element for directing the reshaping element from a relaxed configuration to facilitate introduction between leaflets of the mitral valve to the curved configuration; wherein the reshaping element is releasable from the distal end of the handle, the handle comprising one or more connectors for releasably attaching a proximal end of the reshaping element to the distal end of the handle; an actuator member coupled to the distal tip and extending proximally along the reshaping element to the reshaping element proximal end; and a locking element on the reshaping element proximal end that receives the actuator member therethrough such that the actuator member is slidable proximally through the locking element to allow tension to be applied to the actuator member by the actuator to direct the reshaping element towards the second configuration yet limit release of the tension to prevent the reshaping element from returning towards the first configuration. <EOS>