Promising Results in Trial of Heart Valve Procedure (for frail patients)

[HuckleB]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/business/23device.html?src=busln

"A new way of replacing a failing heart valve in patients too sick to undergo open-heart surgery proved successful in a large-scale clinical trial, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Many patients developing a condition known as aortic stenosis, a narrowing of that valve, are too old or too sick to withstand open-heart surgery to replace a diseased aortic valve, which controls blood flow into the aorta from the heart. Many die within two years after the disease is diagnosed.

In the new procedure, which has not been approved in the United States, a so-called percutaneous heart valve is implanted through a catheter, much in the way that artery-opening stents are. Using a small opening in the groin or chest, the catheter is snaked through blood vessels into a patient’s heart where it deploys the valve. The new valve effectively compresses the diseased valve and replaces it.

The large-scale clinical trial, reported on Wednesday, found a significantly higher survival rate after one year in patients who underwent the new procedure compared with patients who went without a replacement valve.

..."


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Very cool!

:)

[old mark]

1. Since my valve is suspect, this is great news - rec. nt

[supernova]

2. I'm the potential audience

for this. I have wonky aortic and mitral valves.

I'm hoping I can have them repaired before they would have to be replaced. But that's a matter of timing and monitoring. Something I hope to get with insurance.

Still, minimally invasive heart procedures like this one are very exciting. Much less damaging than the traditional cracking of the chest. :-)

[HuckleB]

3. Thanks for the reply! Best of luck to you. I hope this type of thing comes through.