In one embodiment, a suture attachment catheter configured to repair a heart valve by inserting a suture in a valve leaflet of a beating heart of a patient includes a handle control, a flexible catheter body and a suture attachment assembly at a distal end of the catheter body. The suture attachment assembly can include a rail between a distal clamping jaw hingedly attached to the rail, and a proximal clamping jaw. One of the proximal clamping jaw or distal clamping jaw can be selectively slideable with respect to the other on the rail using a jaw actuator of the control handle to adjust a distance between the proximal clamping jaw and the distal clamping jaw. A needle can be selectively slideable within the catheter body by using a needle actuator of the proximal handle control to penetrate a valve leaflet and insert a suture through the valve leaflet when the valve leaflet is captured between the proximal clamping jaw and the distal clamping jaw.
