If they can make this happen, a technological pursuit I've been tracking for 15 years, it would shift the paradigm for valve repairs. The younger the patient, the more important and advantageous this would be. Lacking this innovation, as is currently the case, patients who are not full-grown face multiple surgeries to ensure that the size of the valve keeps pace with the growth of their hearts. The benefits even for adults are considerable: the 2% yearly mortality/morbidity resultant from the artificial valve is eliminated--repeat surgery is unnecessary--and the need to take harmful medications ad infinitum is avoided. In theory, this would place the patient, post-surgery, in the position of a person with a healthy, natural heart. Researchers in this field, therefore, deem tissue engineered valves the holy grail. Given that this remains at least a year out, even in Europe, and that younger patients would presumably (and justly) receive priority over adults. The relatively high frequency of valve issues in the population means this would impact hundreds of thousands a year just in Europe and America--it would constitute the most important triumph for tissue engineering so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment