Systems and methods for leaflet folding

A method comprising:

• positioning a distal portion of a catheter inside a central opening of a host valvular structure;
• exposing a snare loop out of the catheter by advancing a snare device comprising the snare loop through a catheter lumen of the catheter, thereby causing the snare loop to assume an expanded configuration thereof;
• forming a puncture on a host leaflet of the host valvular structure using a needle comprising a needle lumen, thereby forming a puncture through the host leaflet;
• distally advancing the needle through the puncture of the host leaflet and through an opening defined by the snare loop, to position a needle head of the needle distal to the snare loop;
• advancing a grasper out of the needle lumen, wherein the grasper comprises a grasper head to which a free end portion of a suture is attached, and wherein the grasper is in a closed configuration when positioned in the needle lumen;
• releasing the free end portion of the suture from the grasper head, such that the suture extends through the opening defined by the snare loop;
• capturing the suture by the snare loop and pulling the suture into the catheter lumen, by proximally pulling the snare device to re-insert the snare loop into the catheter lumen;
• and
• releasing a knot which is looped around the distal portion from the catheter by applying a distally oriented force by a push shaft disposed around the catheter.