Patent ID: 7527646

Claim:
A method for retaining a native mitral heart leaflet to resist retrograde flow comprising providing an implant that retains a native mitral heart valve leaflet to resist retrograde flow comprising a scaffold sized and configured to rest adjacent all or a portion of a native mitral heart valve annulus, at least a portion of the scaffold defining a pseudo-annulus and including a retaining structure near or within the pseudo-annulus that is sized and shaped to overlay at least a portion of one or more native mitral valve leaflets, the scaffold further including spaced-apart struts sized and configured to contact tissue near or within the mitral heart valve annulus to brace the retaining structure to resist leaflet eversion and/or prolapse, establishing an intravascular access path that extends from a right atrium through a septum and into a left atrium, introducing the implant through the intravascular path into the left atrium, and resisting leaflet eversion and/or prolapse by locating the scaffold adjacent all or a portion of the native mitral heart valve annulus to define a pseudo-annulus with the retaining structure overlaying at least a portion of one or more native mitral valve leaflets and with the spaced-apart struts contacting tissue near or within the mitral heart valve annulus to brace the retaining structure.