Medical implant and method for heart valve repair

A minimally invasive method of replacing or supplementing damaged natural chordae tendineae of a human or animal heart of a patient in need thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing an implant, the implant comprising a distal implant part, a proximal implant part and an artificial or allograft or xenograft chord connecting the distal implant part and the proximal implant part, the chord being displaceable relative to the proximal implant part, wherein the chord extends from the distal implant part, is looped through the proximal implant part, and extends back to the distal implant part, and wherein the chord is secured to the distal implant part, and the chord having a fixed chord length and thereby defining a maximum distance between the distal implant part and the proximal implant part;
• providing a tubular element with a distal end capable of piercing, and arranging the implant, which has the distal implant part, the proximal implant part and the chord having a fixed chord length and connecting the distal implant part and the proximal implant part in the tubular element with the distal implant part and the proximal implant part resting next to one another, with the chord lying proximally of the proximal implant part;
• advancing, in a minimally invasive manner using a system of catheters, the tubular element from an atrial side of the heart while the heart is beating to a leaflet of an atrioventricular valve of the heart, piercing the leaflet by the tubular element, advancing the tubular element through the pierced leaflet and through the ventricle towards papillary muscle tissue, and piercing the papillary muscle tissue by the tubular element;
• releasing the distal implant part from the tubular element into the tissue and thereby implanting distal implant part in the tissue, with the two chord portions secured to the distal implant part;
• after releasing the distal implant part, retracting the tubular element while the proximal implant part is still arranged in the tubular element;
• releasing the proximal implant part from the tubular element proximally of the leaflet, on the atrial side thereof so that a self-expanding portion of the proximal implant part expands and so that the proximal implant part lies flat on an atrial side of the leaflet;
• wherein releasing the proximal implant part comprises retracting the tubular element relative to the proximal implant part;
• whereby after release of the proximal implant part, the implant prevents a prolapse of the leaflet into an atrium by the chord defining the maximum distance between the distal implant part and the proximal implant part;
• and
• removing the tubular element.