London: Doctors in the US have implanted a newly approved aortic heart valve device in a patient that does not require open surgery.
The device, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is called the Medtronic Core Valve System.
On March 28, Loyola University Medical Centre became the first Illinois hospital to implant the device in a patient who was not part of a clinical trial. The new device is deployed with a catheter, which is inserted in an artery in the groin and guided up to the heart.
Once in place, the artificial valve takes over the function of a diseased valve. The system is much less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery. Loyola physicians also have implanted the device in patients participating in clinical trials. The study found that patients who received the device had significantly lower mortality.
‘Mini heart’ developed
Washington: In a breakthrough, scientists have developed a ‘mini heart’ from stem cells to help return blood flow from veins in patients lacking functional valves. A rhythmically contracting cuff made of cardiac muscle cells surrounds the vein acting as a ‘mini heart’ to aid blood flow through venous segments.
The cuff can be made of a patient's own adult stem cells, eliminating the chance of implant rejection.
