FDA clears novel heart valve that is implanted through arteries instead of open-heart surgery
The AP:
Federal health officials have approved a first-of-a-kind artificial heart valve that can be implanted without major surgery, offering a new treatment option for patients who are too old or frail for the chest-cracking procedure currently used.
The Food and Drug Administration said late Wednesday it approved Edwards Lifesciences’ Sapien heart valve, which can be threaded into place through a major artery that runs from the leg up to the heart. Cardiologists say the highly anticipated new approach will help old, sickly patients who cannot undergo the more invasive open heart surgery, which has been used to replace valves for decades.
If you’re not familiar with the details of open heart surgery, the word “open” refers to the chest cavity being opened. I added the emphasis to “chest-cracking procedure” in the quote because that’s literally what happens: the rib cage is cracked open to provide access to the heart. We’ve been doing better in recent years with the development of robotic surgery and such, but this is still great news.