Patent ID: 8029565

Claim:
A minimally invasive method of treating a patient' heart having mitral valve regurgitation from a left ventricle, comprising: a. forming a small passageway in the patient's left ventricular wall defining in part the patient's left ventricle; b. seating a valve into the passageway formed in the left ventricular wall; c. advancing a grasping device through the valve into the left ventricle; d. advancing an valve leaflet stabilizer member through the valve, through the left ventricle, through the mitral valve into a left atrium distal to the mitral valve; e. expanding the stabilizer member within the left atrium and engaging leaflets of the mitral valve and guiding the leaflets to a grasping location; f. grasping the leaflets in the grasping location with the grasping device; and g. securing together free edges of the grasped leaflets with at least one connecting member.