"Life-saving pump lets heart heal"

[ClickerTicker]

UK experts say an artificial pump that rejuvenates dying hearts could save thousands of lives.

Three quarters of the patients who took part in a trial of the mechanical heart at the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital made a recovery.

The temporary pump, combined with a cocktail of drugs, lets the failing heart rest and repair itself.

OK, not directly valve related, but certainly interesting that the heart has the capacity to regenerate itself. Particularly interesting to those of us with slightly knackered hearts... Full article is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6108928.stm

 

[terryj]

I just finished reading about this in our local paper. It may offer hope to a lot of people.

 

[catwoman]

Dr. Mehmet Oz had some heart-surgery programs on Discovery Health channel in the last year or so. I think one of these showed someone with an LVAD and who was awaiting a transplant.

Very interesting, with lots of hope for some people.